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Barron County, Wisconsin

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
28th of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$26Mexpected losses a year
8federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: Bold Frontiers, CC BY 2.0

Barron County, Wisconsin has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 69% of US counties. It ranks 28th of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are cold waves, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $26 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $564 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (5 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2019 (severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding). Only 39 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $116,000 on 10 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Barron County

$10.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 9 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$8.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Tornado

Moderate
$2.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Cold waveHigh94.7
$10M
Inland floodingLow59.1
$8M
TornadoModerate75.0
$3M
HailModerate88.8
$1M
Strong windModerate82.2
$1M
Heat waveLow76.3
$1M
LightningModerate67.0
$423K
Winter weatherLow55.9
$75K
Ice stormLow44.7
$63K
EarthquakeVery Low7.4
$7K
WildfireVery Low17.6
$6K
DroughtVery Low20.5
$4K
LandslideVery Low17.1
$76

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively moderate and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Barron County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Tornado2
Severe Storm2
Flood2
Drought1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Aug 27, 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 10, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
May 11, 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 24, 2000Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 3, 1977Winds, Hail & RainEmergency
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency
Apr 21, 1965Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Wisconsin also had 8 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1957

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 413 storm reports in Barron County since 1957, with 2 deaths and 50 injuries and about $55.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on July 30, 1977.

41tornadoes
173hail reports, largest 3.5 inches
180damaging thunderstorm winds
9floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jul 30, 1977F3–0 / 0
May 16, 2017EF2Reeve25 / 1
Sep 11, 1990F2–0 / 0
Apr 26, 1994F2Canton0 / 0
Jul 4, 1957F2–4 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Sep 21, 2005HailRice Lake$30M
May 16, 2017TornadoReeve$10M
Jul 30, 1977Tornado–$3M
Sep 11, 1990Tornado–$3M
May 25, 2016Thunderstorm WindCameron$2M
Apr 26, 1994TornadoCanton$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 17, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Barron County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (39 policies)
11.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$116,138paid on 10 flood claims since 1978
2001costliest year, with $63,528 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Barron County

$216,600median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1977median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
55%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
5%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 24,067 housing units.

Compare in Wisconsin

All 72 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Milwaukee CountyHighCold wave
Dane CountyModerateInland flooding
Waukesha CountyModerateInland flooding
Brown CountyModerateInland flooding
Racine CountyModerateInland flooding
Outagamie CountyLowInland flooding
Winnebago CountyModerateInland flooding
Kenosha CountyModerateCold wave

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
St. Croix CountyLow9
Chippewa CountyLow9
Dunn CountyLow11
Polk CountyLow8
Sawyer CountyLow7
Washburn CountyVery Low8
Burnett CountyLow8
Rusk CountyVery Low10

Common questions about Barron County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Barron County?

Cold wave has the highest expected yearly losses in Barron County, about $10.5 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $8.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Barron County had?

Barron County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 5 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding in August 2019.

Is Barron County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 28th highest of 72 in Wisconsin. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Barron County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Barron County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Barron County had?

NOAA records list 41 tornadoes in Barron County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on July 30, 1977. The weather service has also logged 173 hail reports and 9 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.