Natural hazards · West Sweden

West Sweden, WI natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Sweden?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Sweden to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding35%Cold waves34%Tornadoes13%Strong wind7%Hail6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What West Sweden faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Cold waves

34% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 West Sweden flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Polk County.

Disasters that hit West Sweden

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into West SwedenDeclared for Polk County only

Polk County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and tornadoes.

Around West Sweden

West Sweden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sirenmostly inland floodingHigh

Trade Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Wood Rivermostly inland floodingLow

Luckmostly inland floodingLow

West Swedenmostly inland floodingLow

Fredericmostly inland floodingLow

Clam Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Danielsmostly 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. West Sweden is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Sweden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of West Sweden. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.