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Natural hazards · Waunakee

Waunakee, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waunakee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2001. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Waunakee?

27
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waunakee to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves22%Tornadoes14%Hail6%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Waunakee 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
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Waunakee flood?

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

2paid claims since 2001
$34Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20012026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 1 claim, $3K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Waunakee isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Dane County.
Disasters that hit Waunakee

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaunakeeDeclared for Dane County only
2018

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

71 households applied for aid $62K aid approved
2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$11K to the Village of Waunakee for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2000

Snow

$6K to the Village of Waunakee for repairs
2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$8K to the Village of Waunakee for repairs
Dane County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Waunakee

Waunakee and the towns around it

Westport: Low, mostly inland floodingMadison: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingVienna: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaunakee: Low, mostly inland flooding WaunakeeWestport
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Westportmostly inland floodingLow
Waunakeemostly 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. Waunakee covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waunakee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Waunakee. 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 Waunakee total about $3.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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