Natural hazards · Iron River

Iron River, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Iron River comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Iron River?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Iron River to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves49%Inland flooding33%Strong wind8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Iron River faces

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

Cold waves

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesEarthquakesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Iron River flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bayfield County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Iron River

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Iron RiverDeclared for Bayfield County only

2018

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Iron River for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$8K to the Town of Iron River for repairs

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$20K to the Town of Iron River for repairs

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

Around Iron River

Iron River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Trippmostly cold wavesVery low

Keystonemostly cold wavesVery low

Pilsenmostly cold wavesVery low

Iron Rivermostly cold wavesVery low

Hughesmostly cold wavesVery low

Deltamostly cold wavesVery 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. Iron River 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 Iron River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Iron River. 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.