Natural disaster risk in Waupaca County, Wisconsin
Wisconsin · population 51,795 · FIPS 55135
Overall: relatively low risk
Waupaca County has a composite risk score of 67.6 out of 100 — higher than 67% of US counties. It ranks 31 of 72 in Wisconsin (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, hail, lightning.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 32.3% of Waupaca County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 1 week so far.
Drought in Waupaca County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 67.6 |
| Expected annual loss About $23.8 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 66.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively moderate 55.8 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 76.3 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Waupaca County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively high 91 |
| Hail | Relatively moderate 88 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 79 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 76 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 66 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 60 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 54 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 42 |
| Landslide | Very low 61 |
| Wildfire | Very low 40 |
| Earthquake | Very low 19 |
| Drought | Very low 16 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Waupaca County
Federal declarations that designated Waupaca County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Waupaca County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4923-WI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 30 Jun 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4923-WI | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 30 Jun 2026 | Yes |
All FEMA declarations in Wisconsin, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Waupaca County, Wisconsin?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Waupaca County as relatively low, with a score of 67.6 out of 100 (higher than 67% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Waupaca County?
The hazards rated highest for Waupaca County are cold wave (relatively high), hail (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Waupaca County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Waupaca County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Waupaca County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Waupaca County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4923-WI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 30 Jun 2026.
Is Waupaca County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 32.3% of Waupaca County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 1 week so far.
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