Natural hazards · Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oshkosh comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1990. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oshkosh?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oshkosh to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding50%Cold waves22%Tornadoes14%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Oshkosh faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oshkosh flood?

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

67paid claims since 1990

$2.9Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19902026

Biggest named events

Storm: 2 claims, $517K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Winnebago County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Oshkosh

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OshkoshDeclared for Winnebago County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2,185 households applied for aid $4.3M aid approved $280K to the City of Oshkosh for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

392 households applied for aid $541K aid approved $38K to the City of Oshkosh for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$1.1M to the City of Oshkosh for repairs

Winnebago County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Oshkosh

Oshkosh and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Algomamostly inland floodingModerate

Oshkoshmostly inland floodingLow

Black Wolfmostly inland floodingLow

Nekimimostly inland floodingLow

Oshkoshmostly 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. Oshkosh covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oshkosh’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oshkosh. 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 Oshkosh total about $18.6M 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.