FEMA Records
15
Below median
Wisconsin · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Trempealeau County, WI
15 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 15
- FEMA declarations
- 12
- Major disasters
- 59
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Trempealeau County. Its 15 FEMA declarations are 22% above the Wisconsin county mean and exceed the count for 23% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 41%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 41%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 15
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 141
- 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.
How does Trempealeau County compare?
Trempealeau County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
15 23rd percentile higher than 23% 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 · 2026-08-03
Trempealeau County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Wisconsin county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Trempealeau County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $11.7M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Landslide carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). 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 Trempealeau County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 141 paid claims, totaling $2.6M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $18.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Trempealeau County's 15 federal records stand 22% above the Wisconsin county mean of 12.3. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 58.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $20.1M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 1 years here.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 15 entries for Trempealeau County, including 12 Major Disaster records, 22% above the Wisconsin county mean. Across the 55-year span, that works out to 0.3 declarations a year. Severe Storm leads the file with 7 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
61 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Trempealeau 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) Moderate
11/30
15 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
15/25
15 declarations (1.2x state county average of 12)
Major Disaster Share Very High
20/25
12 of 15 declarations are major disasters (80%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Trempealeau County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Wisconsin Avg
+22%
State avg: 12.3
vs. National Avg
-28%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 55 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Trempealeau 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
80%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
59
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Trempealeau 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 7.8 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 35 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 2.8 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 3.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 16 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 4.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 10,987 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 2,915 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 7
Flood 3
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Drought 1
Tornado 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Trempealeau County's record, 47% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
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 - 12 80.0%
of all 15 declarations
Emergency - 3 20.0%
of all 15 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 15 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 15 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4520 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3454 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4343 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUD | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-10-07 |
| 1944 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-10-21 |
| 3249 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1526 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-18 |
| 1369 | FLOODING, SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Flood | 2001-05-11 |
| 1236 | SEVERE STORMS,STRAIGH LINE WINDS, TORNADOES,RAIN,AND FLOODI | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-07-24 |
| 994 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1993-07-02 |
| 964 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1992-09-30 |
| 559 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, HAIL & TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 1978-07-07 |
| 3014 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1976-06-17 |
| 482 | HEAVY RAINS, TORNADOES & FLASH FLOODS | DR | Severe Storm | 1975-09-15 |
| 260 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-05-01 |
| 192 | TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 1965-04-21 |
Storm Events in Wisconsin
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Trempealeau 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
141
Total Paid
$2.6M
Avg Per Claim
$18.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 58.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$20.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane 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: Landslide
Landslide risk is a function of slope, soil and water, so it is usually a SECOND-ORDER hazard: it is triggered by the rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire burn scars or seismic shaking that came first. That is why a county can carry high landslide exposure whose realized damage is recorded under a flood or storm declaration instead.
Worth noting for Trempealeau County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Landslide carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. 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
Trempealeau County's closest FEMA peer: Osceola County, IA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Trempealeau County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Trempealeau County shows 15 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Trempealeau County: 12 of 15 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Trempealeau County: NRI composite 58.7 (Relatively Low).
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 Trempealeau County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Trempealeau County's NFIP claims file (141 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Trempealeau County?
The most common disaster type in Trempealeau County is Severe Storm, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Biological (2), Hurricane (1).
How does Trempealeau County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Wisconsin average?
FEMA lists 15 declaration records for Trempealeau County. That is 22% above the Wisconsin county mean of 12.3. Its count is also 28% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Trempealeau County received?
Trempealeau County has received 12 major disaster declarations, representing 80% of all 15 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Trempealeau County filed?
Trempealeau County has 141 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.6M in payments, with an average of $18.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Trempealeau County?
No. In Trempealeau County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $11.7M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Trempealeau County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Trempealeau County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Trempealeau County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin has an overall risk score of 58.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Moderate; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $20.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Trempealeau County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Trempealeau County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at roughly once every 1 years. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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.
What this means for Trempealeau County
Trempealeau County, WI has 15 federal declaration records, 22% more than the Wisconsin county mean of 12; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 12 of 15 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Wisconsin overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Wisconsin mean and the totals for 23% of 3,266 U.S. counties. Most-disaster rankings
- Use the data guide to separate this mid-volume insurance-claims file from declaration counts and modeled NRI risk. Disaster-data guide
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.