Natural hazards · Superior

Superior, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Superior comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2020. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Superior?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Superior to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves47%Inland flooding44%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Superior faces

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

Cold waves

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

HurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Superior flood?

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

1paid claims since 2020

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20202026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Douglas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Superior

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SuperiorDeclared for Douglas County only

2018

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$26K to the City of Superior for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$322K to the City of Superior for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.0M to the City of Superior for repairs

2001

Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$25K to the City of Superior for repairs

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$148K to the City of Superior for repairs

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

Around Superior

Superior and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Superiormostly cold wavesModerate

Duluthmostly inland floodingLow

Parklandmostly cold wavesLow

Superiormostly cold wavesLow

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. Superior covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Superior’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Superior. 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 Superior total about $16.0M 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.