Waupaca is calmer than 92% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waupaca comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Waupaca’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Waupaca?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.
Calmer than 1,691 of the 1,849 Wisconsin towns we cover.
Waupaca covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Waupaca faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Cold waves
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Hail
Does Waupaca flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Waupaca. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Waupaca isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Waupaca County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Waupaca
Disasters that paid out in Waupaca itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Waupaca) and its biggest flood years.
- 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid
- 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding$67K to the City of Waupaca for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding12 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
- 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes$66K to the City of Waupaca for repairs
Waupaca County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of Waupaca after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Waupaca archive →Get ready for what Waupaca actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Waupaca and its neighbors
Waupaca has the lowest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lind | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Farmington | Very low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Waupaca | Very low | cold waves | 0 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in April–June
The month each of Waupaca County’s 9 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Waupaca’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Waupaca.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Waupaca, expected losses total about $2.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Waupaca.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.