Natural hazards · Manitowoc

Manitowoc, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Manitowoc comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Manitowoc?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Manitowoc to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves23%Tornadoes13%Hail13%Heat waves7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Manitowoc faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Manitowoc flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Manitowoc County.

Disasters that hit Manitowoc

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ManitowocDeclared for Manitowoc County only

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

Around Manitowoc

Manitowoc and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Two Riversmostly inland floodingLow

Manitowocmostly inland floodingLow

Two Riversmostly inland floodingVery low

Manitowocmostly inland floodingVery low

Newtonmostly 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. Manitowoc covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Manitowoc’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Manitowoc. 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 Manitowoc total about $4.2M 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.