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St. Croix County, Wisconsin

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

Relatively Low overall risk
33rd of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$36Mexpected losses a year
9federal declarations
1 in 250homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

St. Croix County, Wisconsin has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 64% of US counties. It ranks 33rd of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $36 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $386 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2013 (severe storms, flooding and mudslides). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (95 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $1.5 million on 74 claims here, including $701,000 for floods in 2020.

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

Top risks in St. Croix County

$15.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 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
$7.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 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.

Cold wave

Moderate
$4.4 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow64.1
$16M
TornadoModerate84.8
$8M
Cold waveModerate76.4
$4M
Strong windHigh93.5
$4M
HailModerate87.9
$2M
LightningModerate76.0
$943K
Heat waveLow48.9
$540K
Winter weatherModerate65.9
$170K
Ice stormLow34.8
$62K
WildfireVery Low45.3
$53K
EarthquakeVery Low7.1
$10K
LandslideLow68.6
$8K
DroughtVery Low13.4
$152

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 relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm3
Tornado2
Flood2
Drought1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Aug 8, 2013Severe Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 10, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
May 11, 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jul 24, 1998Severe Storms,Straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,Rain,And FloodiMajor disaster
Jul 2, 1993Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency
May 1, 1969FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 21, 1965Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1953

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 419 storm reports in St. Croix County since 1953, with 5 deaths and 48 injuries and about $104 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F5 tornado on June 4, 1958.

34tornadoes
182hail reports, largest 4.5 inches
171damaging thunderstorm winds
16floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 4, 1958F5–20 / 1
Jul 30, 1977F3–0 / 0
May 24, 1958F3–6 / 0
May 10, 1953F2–9 / 1
Jul 15, 1980F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 13, 2007Thunderstorm WindNew Richmond$45M
Jun 4, 1958Tornado–$25M
Jun 29, 2020Flash FloodDeer Park$8M
Jun 11, 2005TornadoHammond$4M
May 19, 1996Thunderstorm WindRoberts$3M
May 1, 2001HailRiver Falls$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 19, 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 St. Croix County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.4%of homes have federal flood insurance (95 policies)
17.3%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$1.5 millionpaid on 74 flood claims since 1978
2020costliest year, with $700,910 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 St. Croix County

$377,700median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1993median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
33%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
2.8%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; 38,953 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
Washington County, MNModerate15
Barron CountyLow8
Dunn CountyLow11
Polk CountyLow8
Pierce CountyVery Low11

Common questions about St. Croix County

What is the biggest natural hazard in St. Croix County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in St. Croix County, about $15.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $7.9 million.

How many federal disasters has St. Croix County had?

St. Croix County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides in August 2013.

Is St. Croix County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 33rd 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 St. Croix County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 250 homes in St. Croix 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 St. Croix County had?

NOAA records list 34 tornadoes in St. Croix County since 1950. The strongest was an F5 tornado on June 4, 1958. The weather service has also logged 182 hail reports and 16 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.