Natural hazards · Empire

Empire, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Empire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2024. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Empire?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Empire to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding49%Cold waves18%Tornadoes18%Hail7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Empire faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 52 years in the area

Hail

7% 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 wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Empire flood?

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

1paid claims since 2024

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20242026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fond du Lac County.

Disasters that hit Empire

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmpireDeclared for Fond du Lac County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Empire for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Empire for repairs

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

Around Empire

Empire and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fond du Lacmostly inland floodingLow

Fond du Lacmostly inland floodingVery low

Empiremostly inland floodingVery low

Taycheedahmostly inland floodingVery low

Edenmostly inland floodingVery low

Forestmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Empire covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Empire’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Empire. 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 Empire total about $1.6M 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.