Dane County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dane County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.9 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hail, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,787 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.0 | $44M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.9 | $13M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.6 | $26M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 94.3 | $84M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.6 | $710K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 92.5 | $3.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.4 | $1.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.4 | $680K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.3 | $8.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 89.4 | $67K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 70.7 | $1.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 39.9 | $81K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 60.2 | $105K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 29.2 | $17K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 555 | 0 | $103M | 12th of 72 | 902nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 489 | 0 | $21M | 14th of 72 | 1272nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 246 | 9 | $570K | 28th of 72 | 682nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 83 | 1 | $255M | 24th of 72 | 1438th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 76 | 4 | $165M | 12th of 72 | 771st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 54 | 4 | $4.4M | 9th of 72 | 190th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 3 | $2.6M | 26th of 72 | 1034th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 47 | 2 | – | 20th of 72 | 635th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 39 | 4 | $450K | 27th of 72 | 783rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 33 | 0 | $91K | 4th of 72 | 337th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 18 | 0 | $635K | 57th of 72 | 1812th of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Dane County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.