Natural hazards · Laona

Laona, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Laona comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2000. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Laona?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Laona to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves.

Cold waves81%Inland flooding13%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Laona faces

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

Cold waves

81% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Laona flood?

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

1paid claims since 2000

$8Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20002026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Forest County.

Disasters that hit Laona

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LaonaDeclared for Forest County only

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Laona for repairs

Forest County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Laona

Laona and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Caswellmostly cold wavesVery low

Argonnemostly cold wavesVery low

Blackwellmostly cold wavesVery low

Wabenomostly cold wavesVery low

Armstrong Creekmostly cold wavesVery low

Freedommostly cold wavesVery low

Laonamostly cold wavesVery low

Lincolnmostly 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. Laona covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Laona’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Laona. 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 Laona total about $3.2M 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.