Natural hazards · Mercer

Mercer, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mercer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mercer?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mercer to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves35%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Mercer faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Cold waves

35% 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 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 Mercer flood?

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

2paid claims since 2013

$15Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Iron County.

Disasters that hit Mercer

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MercerDeclared for Iron County only

2018

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$4K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$1K to the Town of Mercer for repairs

Iron County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Mercer

Mercer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Agendamostly inland floodingLow

Winchestermostly inland floodingLow

Manitowish Watersmostly inland floodingLow

Mercermostly inland floodingLow

Shermanmostly inland floodingLow

Omamostly inland floodingLow

Knightmostly cold wavesVery low

Careymostly 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. Mercer covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mercer’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Mercer. 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 Mercer total about $1.7M 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.