Natural hazards · Black Earth

Black Earth, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Black Earth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate 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 Black Earth?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Black Earth to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves12%Tornadoes8%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Black Earth faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 27 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Black Earth flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dane County.

Disasters that hit Black Earth

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Black EarthDeclared for Dane County only

2018

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides

$85K to the Town of Black Earth for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$2K to the Town of Black Earth for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Black Earth for repairs

Dane County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Black Earth

Black Earth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Black Earthmostly inland floodingModerate

Mazomaniemostly inland floodingModerate

Berrymostly inland floodingLow

Vermontmostly 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. Black Earth is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.