Natural hazards · Emerald

Emerald, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Emerald comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Emerald?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Emerald to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes22%Strong wind12%Cold waves11%Hail8%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Emerald 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

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Emerald flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Croix County.

Disasters that hit Emerald

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for St. Croix County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Emerald itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into EmeraldDeclared for St. Croix County only

St. Croix County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Emerald

Emerald and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cylonmostly inland floodingModerate

Erin Prairiemostly inland floodingLow

Emeraldmostly inland floodingLow

Baldwinmostly inland floodingLow

Glenwoodmostly 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. Emerald 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 Emerald’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Emerald. 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.