Natural hazards · Lewiston

Lewiston, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lewiston comes from hail, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1998. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lewiston?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lewiston to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from hail and inland flooding.

Hail46%Inland flooding29%Cold waves10%Tornadoes8%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Lewiston faces

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

Hail

46% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 31 years 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 Lewiston flood?

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

4paid claims since 1998

$76Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $52K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Columbia County.

Disasters that hit Lewiston

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LewistonDeclared for Columbia County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$20K to the Town of Lewiston for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Lewiston for repairs

2000

Snow

$2K to the Town of Lewiston for repairs

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

Around Lewiston

Lewiston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Caledoniamostly inland floodingVery high

Fort Winnebagomostly inland floodingVery high

Portagemostly hailVery high

Newportmostly hailHigh

Lewistonmostly hailHigh

Douglasmostly inland floodingHigh

Moundvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

New Havenmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Lewiston covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lewiston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lewiston. 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 Lewiston total about $5.7M 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.