Natural hazards · Mellen

Mellen, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mellen comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1996. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mellen?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mellen to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves45%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Mellen faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

45% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Mellen flood?

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

1paid claims since 1996

$1Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ashland County.

Disasters that hit Mellen

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MellenDeclared for Ashland County only

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$24K to the City of Mellen for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$4K to the City of Mellen for repairs

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$2K to the City of Mellen for repairs

Ashland County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Mellen

Mellen and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mellenmostly inland floodingLow

Morsemostly 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. Mellen 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 Mellen’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mellen. 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.