FEMA Records
9
Low volume
Wisconsin · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Manitowoc County, WI
9 FEMA disaster declarations (1973-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 9
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 69
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Manitowoc County: 9 FEMA declaration records are 27% below the Wisconsin county mean, even though the count is higher than 8% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks in the riskiest 31%.
- Riskiest 31%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 9
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 35
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 55071 · Manitowoc County 9 declarations · rank 2974/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 9
- MAJOR-MID 67%
- RANK-LOWER #2,974
- PHOTO-FINISH Fulton
- NRI-LOW 69
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-BELOW -27%
Nearest declaration peer: Fulton, OH (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Wisconsin state profile
Manitowoc County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Manitowoc County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Fulton · near 9
Fulton · near
9 declarations
- Gallatin · near 9
Gallatin · near
9 declarations
- Hillsdale · near 9
Hillsdale · near
9 declarations
- Manitowoc · this county 9
Manitowoc · this county
9 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Manitowoc County carries 9 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2974 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Manitowoc County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Manitowoc County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Manitowoc County
9 8th percentile higher than 8% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Manitowoc County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Manitowoc County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $15.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Hail carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Manitowoc County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 68.9/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $32.4M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Hail stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 1.7 times per year here, based on 68 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 35 claims and $468.2K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a Wisconsin county averages 12.3 federal declaration records, while Manitowoc County has 9. The gap is 27% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
46 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Manitowoc County, WI · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
7/30
9 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.4x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
9 declarations (0.7x state county average of 12)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
6 of 9 declarations are major disasters (67%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Manitowoc County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Manitowoc County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
67%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
69
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Manitowoc County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | an average of 1.7 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 5.4 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 1.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 31 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 17 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.9 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 78 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 2,331 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 37,705 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 3
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
Hurricane 1
Snowstorm 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Manitowoc County's record, 33% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 6 66.7%
of all 9 declarations
Emergency - 3 33.3%
of all 9 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 9 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 9 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4923 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2026-06-30 |
| 4520 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3454 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 1768 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-14 |
| 3249 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 3163 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-01-24 |
| 874 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1990-07-13 |
| 496 | SEVERE STORMS, ICING, WIND & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1976-03-23 |
| 376 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-04-27 |
Storm Events in Wisconsin
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Manitowoc County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,504 | 5 | 23 | $45.0M |
| Hail | 2,620 | 0 | 0 | $57.8M |
| Winter Weather | 1,939 | 43 | 152 | $2.1M |
| Winter Storm | 1,338 | 15 | 86 | $2.3M |
| Flood | 740 | 12 | 4 | $115.6M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
35
Total Paid
$468.2K
Avg Per Claim
$13.4K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 68.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$32.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively High
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Landslide Very Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
Worth noting for Manitowoc County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Hail carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Manitowoc County's closest FEMA peer: Vernon Parish, LA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Manitowoc County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Manitowoc County: NRI composite 68.9 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Manitowoc County: 6 of 9 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Manitowoc County shows 9 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Manitowoc County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Manitowoc County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 68.9 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 9. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Hail as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively High); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Manitowoc County?
The most common disaster type in Manitowoc County is Flood, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Severe Storm (2), Hurricane (1).
How does Manitowoc County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Wisconsin average?
The typical Wisconsin county has 12.3 FEMA declaration records; Manitowoc County has 9, or 27% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 57% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Manitowoc County received?
Manitowoc County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 9 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Manitowoc County filed?
Manitowoc County has 35 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $468.2K in payments, with an average of $13.4K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Manitowoc County?
No. In Manitowoc County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $15.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Manitowoc County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Manitowoc County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1973 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Manitowoc County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin has an overall risk score of 68.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $32.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Manitowoc County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Manitowoc County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate) and Heat Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 1.7 times per year, drawn from 68 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Manitowoc County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Wisconsin profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events