Natural hazards · Vernon

Vernon, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vernon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vernon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vernon to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves19%Tornadoes17%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Vernon faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 79 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Vernon flood?

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

1paid claims since 2013

$15Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Waukesha County.

Disasters that hit Vernon

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VernonDeclared for Waukesha County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$56K to the Village of Vernon for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$19K to the Village of Vernon for repairs

2000

Snow

$10K to the Village of Vernon for repairs

Waukesha County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Vernon

Vernon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Waterfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Waukeshamostly inland floodingLow

Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

Mukwonagomostly inland floodingLow

Big Bendmostly inland floodingLow

Muskegomostly inland floodingLow

Mukwonagomostly inland floodingLow

New Berlinmostly 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. Vernon covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vernon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Vernon. 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 Vernon total about $3.7M 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.