Sawyer County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sawyer County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.5 of 100, higher than 74% 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 559 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 | 98.2 | $15M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.5 | $120K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.8 | $603K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 57.9 | $218K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 62.1 | $6.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.7 | $182K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $34K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33.8 | $26K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 30.2 | $367K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.2 | $114K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 17.7 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 17.5 | $61 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.8 | $598 |
| 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 | 179 | 2 | $1.4M | 64th of 72 | 2447th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 174 | 0 | $995 | 58th of 72 | 2297th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 109 | 0 | $101K | 68th of 72 | 1711th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 24th of 72 | 1319th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 21 | 0 | $394K | 62nd of 72 | 2713th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 3 | – | 69th of 72 | 1462nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 0 | $925K | 71st of 72 | 2642nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $275K | 55th of 72 | 1577th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $8K | 68th of 72 | 2851st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 66th of 72 | 2246th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $73K | 11th of 72 | 1183rd 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 Sawyer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.