Douglas County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Douglas County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 62.4 of 100, higher than 62% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 548 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 | Relatively High | 94.7 | $12M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.2 | $611K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $11M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 61.4 | $681K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $85K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 44.4 | $234K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 28.3 | $302K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 27.4 | $471K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 39.2 | $27K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 26.0 | $28K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 24.0 | $1K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 16.2 | $81 |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.7 | $937 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.5 | $3K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 163 | 0 | $331K | 49th of 72 | 1211th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 160 | 0 | $53K | 66th of 72 | 2471st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 107 | 0 | $19K | 66th of 72 | 2479th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 41 | 0 | – | 22nd of 72 | 1306th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 2 | – | 54th of 72 | 1114th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 24 | 0 | $32M | 59th of 72 | 2667th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $3.6M | 67th of 72 | 2482nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $500K | 45th of 72 | 1170th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $44K | 67th of 72 | 2800th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 67th of 72 | 2249th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 62nd of 72 | 2297th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Douglas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.