Natural hazards · Howard

Howard, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Howard?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howard to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding51%Cold waves26%Tornadoes13%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Howard faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Howard flood?

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

14paid claims since 1979

$132Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $90K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Brown County.

Disasters that hit Howard

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowardDeclared for Brown County only

Brown County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Howard

Howard and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Suamicomostly inland floodingLow

Green Baymostly inland floodingLow

Oneidamostly inland floodingVery low

Hobartmostly inland floodingVery low

Howardmostly inland floodingVery low

Pittsfieldmostly 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. Howard covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Howard’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Howard. 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 Howard total about $7.1M 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.