Natural hazards · Dakota

Dakota, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dakota comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2004. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dakota?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dakota to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves23%Hail15%Tornadoes14%Strong wind5%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Dakota faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Dakota flood?

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

4paid claims since 2004

$57Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $16K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Waushara County.

Disasters that hit Dakota

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DakotaDeclared for Waushara County only

2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Dakota for repairs

Waushara County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Dakota

Dakota and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Richfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Crystal Lakemostly cold wavesModerate

Dakotamostly inland floodingModerate

Wautomamostly inland floodingModerate

Marionmostly 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. Dakota covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dakota’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dakota. 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 Dakota total about $2.4M 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.