Natural hazards · Baraboo

Baraboo, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Baraboo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Baraboo?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Baraboo to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves18%Tornadoes17%Hail11%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Baraboo faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 85 years in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Baraboo flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Baraboo.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Baraboo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Sauk County.

Disasters that hit Baraboo

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Baraboo itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Baraboo.

Brought FEMA money into BarabooDeclared for Sauk County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$73K to the Town of Baraboo for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Baraboo for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$86K to the Town of Baraboo for repairs

Sauk County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Baraboo

Baraboo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sumptermostly inland floodingVery high

Merrimacmostly inland floodingVery high

Excelsiormostly inland floodingHigh

Freedommostly inland floodingModerate

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Deltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Greenfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Baraboomostly inland floodingLow

West Baraboomostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Baraboo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Baraboo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Baraboo. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Baraboo total about $1.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.