Natural hazards · Polk

Polk, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Polk comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Polk?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Polk to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding39%Cold waves27%Tornadoes20%Hail5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Polk faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 94 years in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Polk flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Polk

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Polk itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into PolkDeclared for Washington County only

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

Around Polk

Polk and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Richfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Jacksonmostly inland floodingVery low

Polkmostly inland floodingVery low

Slingermostly inland floodingVery low

West Bendmostly inland floodingVery low

Hartfordmostly 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. Polk covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Polk’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Polk. 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 Polk total about $3.2M 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.