Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Bayfield County, Wisconsin has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 65% of US counties. It ranks 61st of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are cold waves, inland flooding and strong wind. FEMA estimates about $9.3 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $577 per resident. Since 1972 it has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (8 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (severe storms, tornadoes and flooding). Only 22 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $137,000 on 16 claims here.

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

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 high and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

The National Weather Service has logged 331 storm reports in Bayfield County since 1965, with 3 deaths and 10 injuries and about $6.5 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on June 30, 1968.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 27, 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.

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.

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; 13,356 housing units.

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.