Home › Wisconsin › Kewaunee County

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin

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

Very Low overall risk
68th of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$8Mexpected losses a year
6federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 83% of US counties. It ranks 68th of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $8.5 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $412 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (3 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (severe storms, tornadoes and flooding). Only 28 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $135,000 on 20 claims here.

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

Top risks in Kewaunee County

$3.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 1 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
$2.3 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 5 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 floodingVery Low24.4
$4M
Cold waveModerate66.6
$2M
TornadoLow39.7
$1M
HailLow63.3
$548K
Strong windLow33.2
$423K
LightningLow41.1
$214K
Heat waveVery Low19.6
$76K
Winter weatherVery Low20.1
$23K
EarthquakeVery Low12.6
$16K
Ice stormVery Low13.1
$10K
Coastal floodingVery Low30.2
$6K
HurricaneVery Low16.6
$6K
WildfireVery Low9.9
$4K
LandslideVery Low28.0
$332

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 very low 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 Kewaunee County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Flood2
Drought1
Severe Storm1
Snowstorm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jun 30, 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 24, 2001SnowEmergency
Jul 13, 1990Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency
Apr 27, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1959

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 157 storm reports in Kewaunee County since 1959, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries and about $1.5 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on April 22, 1970.

9tornadoes
53hail reports, largest 3 inches
74damaging thunderstorm winds
17floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 22, 1970F2–1 / 0
Apr 22, 1970F2–0 / 0
Aug 7, 2013EF1Pilsen0 / 0
Jul 2, 1969F1–0 / 0
Jul 20, 1972F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jul 6, 1994Thunderstorm WindAlgoma$550K
Apr 22, 1970Tornado–$250K
Apr 22, 1970Tornado–$250K
Aug 9, 2025LightningRosiere$125K
Mar 14, 2019FloodAlgoma$121K
Jun 6, 1999Thunderstorm WindAlaska$50K

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 Kewaunee County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (28 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$134,510paid on 20 flood claims since 1978
1985costliest year, with $55,322 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 Kewaunee County

$222,200median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1970median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
63%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
3.9%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; 9,367 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
Manitowoc CountyLow7
Door CountyLow4
Manistee County, MIVery Low6
Benzie County, MIVery Low4

Common questions about Kewaunee County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Kewaunee County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Kewaunee County, about $3.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $2.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Kewaunee County had?

Kewaunee County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 3 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding in June 2026.

Is Kewaunee County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 68th 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 Kewaunee County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 333 homes in Kewaunee 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 Kewaunee County had?

NOAA records list 9 tornadoes in Kewaunee County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on April 22, 1970. The weather service has also logged 53 hail reports and 17 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.