Natural hazards · Sand Lake

Sand Lake, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sand Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low 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 Sand Lake?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sand Lake to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding50%Cold waves28%Tornadoes8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Sand Lake 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

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

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 Sand Lake flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Burnett County.

Disasters that hit Sand Lake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sand LakeDeclared for Burnett County only

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$33K to the Town of Sand Lake for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Sand Lake for repairs

Burnett County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Sand Lake

Sand Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Meenonmostly inland floodingHigh

La Follettemostly inland floodingHigh

Sand Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Ruskmostly inland floodingLow

Jacksonmostly inland floodingLow

Oaklandmostly inland floodingLow

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