La Crosse County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates La Crosse County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 80.5 of 100, higher than 80% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hail. Its storm record holds 838 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 | 96.8 | $19M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 95.1 | $3.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | $101K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $3.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.6 | $6.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.0 | $19M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.0 | $150K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $349K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.5 | $74K |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.0 | $21K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.8 | $44K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 11.8 | $5K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 301 | 0 | $3.8M | 8th of 72 | 624th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 224 | 0 | $92M | 2nd of 72 | 359th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 97 | 2 | $1.0M | 27th of 72 | 628th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 83 | 0 | $42M | 3rd of 72 | 359th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 1 | – | 20th of 72 | 536th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $46M | 21st of 72 | 1164th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | $401K | 3rd of 72 | 268th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 18 | 0 | $734K | 8th of 72 | 167th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 0 | $522K | 33rd of 72 | 1449th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 14 | 3 | $9K | 23rd of 72 | 756th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 38th of 72 | 1502nd of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $120K | 3rd of 72 | 401st of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full La Crosse County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.