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. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1996.

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 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves32%Tornadoes7%Everything else9%

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

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

32% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 56 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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?

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

2paid claims since 1996

$64Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $62K

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: Shawano County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Shawano County only

Shawano County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wescottmostly inland floodingHigh

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Green Valleymostly inland floodingLow

Underhillmostly inland floodingLow

Hartlandmostly cold wavesVery low

Waukechonmostly 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. Washington covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); 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 $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.