Natural hazards · Orion

Orion, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Orion comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Orion?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Orion to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves17%Tornadoes8%Hail7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Orion faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

17% 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 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year 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 Orion flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Richland County.

Disasters that hit Orion

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OrionDeclared for Richland County only

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$7K to the Town of Orion for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Orion for repairs

Richland County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Orion

Orion and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Orionmostly inland floodingHigh

Eaglemostly inland floodingHigh

Buena Vistamostly inland floodingHigh

Pulaskimostly inland floodingHigh

Avocamostly inland floodingHigh

Richlandmostly 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. Orion 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 Orion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Orion. 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.