Natural hazards · Chetek

Chetek, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chetek 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 Chetek?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chetek to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding43%Cold waves31%Tornadoes10%Hail6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Chetek faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

31% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 52 years in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice 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 Chetek flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Barron County.

Disasters that hit Chetek

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChetekDeclared for Barron County only

2019

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

$47K to the Town of Chetek for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$21K to the Town of Chetek for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$17K to the Town of Chetek for repairs

Barron County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and tornadoes.

Around Chetek

Chetek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Prairie Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Chetekmostly inland floodingModerate

Dovremostly inland floodingModerate

Chetekmostly inland floodingModerate

Ruskmostly inland floodingModerate

Sumnermostly cold wavesLow

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. Chetek covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chetek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chetek. 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 Chetek total about $4.1M 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.