Natural hazards · Big Bend

Big Bend, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Bend comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1994. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Big Bend?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Bend to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves31%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Big Bend faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

31% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Big Bend flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Big Bend, from FEMA’s records.

6paid claims since 1994

$74Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19942026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 1 claim, $12K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rusk County.

Disasters that hit Big Bend

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Big BendDeclared for Rusk County only

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$37K to the Town of Big Bend for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Big Bend for repairs

Rusk County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Big Bend

Big Bend and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Big Bendmostly inland floodingHigh

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Stubbsmostly inland floodingHigh

Sampsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Ruskmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Big Bend covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Big Bend’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Big Bend. 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 Big Bend total about $2.1M 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.