Natural hazards · Gale

Gale, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2017. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gale?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gale to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding55%Cold waves18%Tornadoes10%Hail5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Gale faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 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 Gale flood?

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

3paid claims since 2017

$22Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20172026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Trempealeau County.

Disasters that hit Gale

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GaleDeclared for Trempealeau County only

2017

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

$42K to the Town of Gale for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$18K to the Town of Gale for repairs

Trempealeau County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Gale

Gale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Trempealeaumostly inland floodingModerate

Caledoniamostly inland floodingModerate

Arcadiamostly inland floodingModerate

Galemostly inland floodingModerate

Ettrickmostly inland floodingModerate

Farmingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Hollandmostly 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. Gale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gale’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gale. 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 Gale total about $2.3M 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.