Natural hazards · Morse

Morse, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Morse comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1996. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Morse?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Morse 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 Morse 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 Morse flood?

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

2paid claims since 1996

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Morse 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 Morse

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MorseDeclared for Ashland County only

2018

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Morse for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$141K to the Town of Morse for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Morse for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$3K to the Town of Morse for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$36K to the Town of Morse for repairs

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$8K to the Town of Morse for repairs

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

Around Morse

Morse and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Morsemostly inland floodingLow

Mellenmostly inland floodingLow

Gordonmostly inland floodingLow

Sanbornmostly cold wavesLow

Andersonmostly cold wavesVery low

Ashlandmostly cold wavesVery low

Marengomostly 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. Morse covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Morse’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Morse. 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 Morse total about $952K 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.