Forest County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Forest County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 47.4 of 100, higher than 47% 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 365 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 | 95.1 | $9.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $173K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 40.6 | $128K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 39.4 | $35K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 18.8 | $130K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.0 | $220K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 20.7 | $2.0M |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.6 | $2K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 13.9 | $42 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 13.4 | $4K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 7.5 | $9K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 2.1 | $653 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 1.6 | $1K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 123 | 0 | $8K | 51st of 72 | 1234th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 88 | 0 | $234K | 68th of 72 | 2493rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $152K | 69th of 72 | 2539th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 38 | 0 | – | 17th of 72 | 1184th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 0 | – | 65th of 72 | 1289th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $20K | 45th of 72 | 2239th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | $13M | 70th of 72 | 2593rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 4 | 0 | $263K | 72nd of 72 | 2959th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 72nd of 72 | 2360th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 63rd of 72 | 2250th 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 Forest County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.