Natural hazards · Rhinelander

Rhinelander, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rhinelander comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rhinelander?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rhinelander to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves54%Inland flooding34%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Rhinelander faces

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

Cold waves

54% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Rhinelander flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Oneida County.

Disasters that hit Rhinelander

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RhinelanderDeclared for Oneida County only

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$61K to the City of Rhinelander for repairs

Oneida County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Rhinelander

Rhinelander and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pine Lakemostly cold wavesModerate

Pelicanmostly inland floodingModerate

Newboldmostly inland floodingModerate

Rhinelandermostly cold wavesLow

Crescentmostly 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. Rhinelander covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rhinelander’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rhinelander. 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 Rhinelander total about $4.9M 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.