Natural hazards · Highland

Highland, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highland?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highland to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves15%Tornadoes11%Hail8%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Highland faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Highland flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Iowa County.

Disasters that hit Highland

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighlandDeclared for Iowa County only

2017

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

$5K to the Village of Highland for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$7K to the Village of Highland for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Village of Highland for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $3K to the Village of Highland for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

Iowa County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Highland 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 Highland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Highland. 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.