Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, WI natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves24%Tornadoes10%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Washington 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 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 43 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 Washington flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Eau Claire County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Eau Claire County only

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

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Altoonamostly inland floodingModerate

Pleasant Valleymostly inland floodingModerate

Brunswickmostly inland floodingModerate

Lincolnmostly inland floodingModerate

Seymourmostly inland floodingModerate

Eau Clairemostly 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. Washington covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Washington. 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 Washington total about $4.1M 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.