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Shawano County, Wisconsin

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

Relatively Low overall risk
36th of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$26Mexpected losses a year
6federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: Bold Frontiers, CC BY 2.0

Shawano County, Wisconsin has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 63% of US counties. It ranks 36th 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 $645 per resident. Since 1976 it has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (4 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2019 (severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding). Only 41 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $294,000 on 12 claims here.

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

Top risks in Shawano County

$10.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 7 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$10.2 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
$2.5 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 waveHigh93.3
$11M
Inland floodingLow59.7
$10M
TornadoModerate65.9
$3M
Strong windModerate69.9
$1M
HailModerate73.2
$735K
LightningModerate76.9
$725K
Heat waveLow41.8
$284K
Ice stormLow37.0
$52K
Winter weatherLow35.8
$43K
EarthquakeVery Low13.1
$15K
WildfireVery Low21.9
$10K
LandslideVery Low60.5
$3K

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 low 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 Shawano County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm2
Drought1
Tornado1
Hurricane1
Flood1

Most recent

Aug 27, 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jun 18, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 2, 1993Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1964

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 288 storm reports in Shawano County since 1964, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries and about $6.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on June 26, 1969.

29tornadoes
73hail reports, largest 4.5 inches
174damaging thunderstorm winds
6floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 26, 1969F3–0 / 0
Apr 27, 1984F3–0 / 0
Apr 12, 1974F2–1 / 0
Sep 20, 1980F1–0 / 0
Jun 26, 1984F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jun 26, 1969Tornado–$3M
Apr 27, 1984Tornado–$3M
Jul 16, 1997Thunderstorm WindWittenberg$301K
Apr 12, 1974Tornado–$250K
Sep 20, 1980Tornado–$250K
Jun 26, 1984Tornado–$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 Shawano County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (41 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$293,642paid on 12 flood claims since 1978
2026costliest year, with $181,098 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 Shawano County

$194,000median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1975median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
58%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
6.6%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; 20,670 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
Outagamie CountyLow10
Marathon CountyModerate10
Portage CountyLow10
Waupaca CountyLow9
Oconto CountyLow4
Langlade CountyLow6
Menominee CountyVery Low5

Common questions about Shawano County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Shawano County?

Cold wave has the highest expected yearly losses in Shawano County, about $10.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $10.2 million.

How many federal disasters has Shawano County had?

Shawano County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1976, including 4 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding in August 2019.

Is Shawano County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 36th 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 Shawano County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Shawano 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 Shawano County had?

NOAA records list 29 tornadoes in Shawano County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on June 26, 1969. The weather service has also logged 73 hail reports and 6 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.