Washington County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 68.3 of 100, higher than 68% 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 882 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 | 90.2 | $13M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $2.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $8.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 63.6 | $183K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 59.4 | $577K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 58.6 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 72.0 | $1.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 66.1 | $20M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 33.3 | $68K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33.1 | $61K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.2 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 49.0 | $80K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 32.5 | $169K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 9.3 | $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 | 227 | 9 | $76K | 6th of 72 | 96th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 198 | 1 | $18M | 7th of 72 | 572nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 139 | 0 | $14M | 8th of 72 | 581st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 58 | 0 | $1.3M | 5th of 72 | 219th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 39 | 0 | – | 6th of 72 | 325th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 1 | $3K | 6th of 72 | 228th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 28 | 1 | $5.5M | 6th of 72 | 87th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 24 | 1 | $46M | 27th of 72 | 1641st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 3 | $91M | 18th of 72 | 947th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 18 | 0 | $353K | 15th of 72 | 1102nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 22nd of 72 | 776th 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 Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.