Natural hazards · Lafayette

Lafayette, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lafayette comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lafayette?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lafayette to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves25%Tornadoes10%Strong wind5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Lafayette faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 60 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lafayette flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chippewa County.

Disasters that hit Lafayette

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LafayetteDeclared for Chippewa County only

2016

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$54K to the Town of Lafayette for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$5K to the Town of Lafayette for repairs

Chippewa County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Lafayette

Lafayette and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ansonmostly inland floodingModerate

Eagle Pointmostly inland floodingModerate

Lake Halliemostly inland floodingModerate

Lafayettemostly inland floodingModerate

Seymourmostly inland floodingModerate

Halliemostly inland floodingModerate

Chippewa Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Sigelmostly inland floodingLow

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. Lafayette covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lafayette’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lafayette. 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 Lafayette total about $3.8M 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.