Vernon County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Vernon County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 75.0 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, cold wave. Its storm record holds 834 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.0 | $992K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.0 | $10.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 75.6 | $843K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | $1.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.2 | $9.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 66.9 | $587K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 48.4 | $59K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43.7 | $69K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.0 | $28K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $90K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 17.2 | $5K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 13.2 | $10K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 9.6 | $1K |
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 | 214 | 0 | $3.7M | 38th of 72 | 1927th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 155 | 4 | $156M | 9th of 72 | 768th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 151 | 0 | $28M | 26th of 72 | 1569th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 151 | 3 | $286K | 41st of 72 | 1072nd of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 37 | 1 | $23K | 9th of 72 | 401st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 2 | $3K | 32nd of 72 | 850th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 0 | $19M | 38th of 72 | 1780th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 23 | 0 | – | 35th of 72 | 1479th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 20 | 2 | $21K | 30th of 72 | 1107th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 1 | $697K | 46th of 72 | 2263rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $759K | 46th of 72 | 1234th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $1K | 8th of 72 | 1069th 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 Vernon County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.