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Door County, Wisconsin

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

Relatively Low overall risk
54th of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$15Mexpected losses a year
4federal declarations
1 in 143homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Door County, Wisconsin has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 53% of US counties. It ranks 54th of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $15 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $488 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 4 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (1 major disaster). The most recent was in September 2005 (Hurricane Katrina Evacuation). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (143 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $598,000 on 65 claims here.

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

Top risks in Door County

$6.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 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.

Cold wave

Moderate
$5.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 5 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$1.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 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
Inland floodingLow52.1
$7M
Cold waveModerate85.6
$5M
TornadoLow47.6
$1M
HailLow72.1
$609K
Strong windLow46.2
$486K
LightningLow48.3
$217K
Ice stormLow40.1
$52K
WildfireVery Low39.9
$25K
Winter weatherLow25.0
$23K
Coastal floodingVery Low40.2
$16K
Heat waveVery Low9.5
$16K
EarthquakeVery Low12.8
$13K
LandslideVery Low39.6
$634

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 very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Flood1
Drought1
Snowstorm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 24, 2001SnowEmergency
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency
Apr 27, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1956

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 258 storm reports in Door County since 1956, with 1 death and 11 injuries and about $14.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on August 23, 1998 near Egg Harbor.

10tornadoes
86hail reports, largest 3 inches
144damaging thunderstorm winds
2floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Aug 23, 1998F3Egg Harbor2 / 0
Jun 8, 1985F2–0 / 0
Jul 1, 1956F2–0 / 0
Apr 22, 1970F2–2 / 0
Apr 22, 1970F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 23, 1998TornadoEgg Harbor$7M
Jul 14, 2014HailInstitute$4M
Jun 8, 1985Tornado–$3M
Jul 14, 2010LightningFish Creek$434K
Aug 9, 2025Thunderstorm WindEphraim$431K
Jul 1, 1956Tornado–$250K

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.

Flood insurance in Door County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.7%of homes have federal flood insurance (143 policies)
8.7%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$597,503paid on 65 flood claims since 1978
2019costliest year, with $363,317 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 Door County

$342,600median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
46%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
5.7%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; 24,436 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
Brown CountyModerate7
Marinette CountyLow5
Oconto CountyLow4
Delta County, MILow4
Menominee County, MILow6
Leelanau County, MILow3
Kewaunee CountyVery Low6
Benzie County, MIVery Low4

Common questions about Door County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Door County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Door County, about $6.9 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $5.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Door County had?

Door County has been included in 4 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 1 major disaster. The most recent was Hurricane Katrina Evacuation in September 2005.

Is Door County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 54th 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 Door County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 143 homes in Door 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 Door County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Door County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on August 23, 1998 near Egg Harbor. The weather service has also logged 86 hail reports and 2 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.