Natural hazards · Wausau

Wausau, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wausau comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wausau?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wausau to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves46%Inland flooding40%Tornadoes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Wausau faces

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

Cold waves

46% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

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 Wausau flood?

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

8paid claims since 1979

$26Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marathon County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Wausau

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WausauDeclared for Marathon County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the City of Wausau for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Marathon County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Wausau

Wausau and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rib Mountainmostly inland floodingModerate

Stettinmostly inland floodingModerate

Wausaumostly cold wavesLow

Westonmostly inland floodingLow

Wausaumostly cold wavesLow

Schofieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Mainemostly inland floodingVery low

Texasmostly 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. Wausau covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wausau’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wausau. 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 Wausau total about $12.7M 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.