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Taylor County, Wisconsin

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

Very Low overall risk
60th of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$11Mexpected losses a year
6federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Taylor County, Wisconsin has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 63% of US counties. It ranks 60th of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $11 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $564 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 October 2010 (severe storms and flooding). Only 9 homes here carry federal flood insurance.

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

Top risks in Taylor County

$5.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 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
$3.7 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.
$1.1 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
Inland floodingLow42.5
$5M
Cold waveModerate80.9
$4M
TornadoLow48.6
$1M
LightningModerate72.5
$519K
Strong windLow29.6
$277K
HailLow49.3
$244K
Heat waveVery Low31.4
$140K
Ice stormLow45.3
$65K
Winter weatherLow34.7
$35K
WildfireVery Low14.4
$5K
EarthquakeVery Low4.1
$4K
DroughtVery Low19.0
$3K
LandslideVery Low8.2
$17

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 relatively moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm2
Drought1
Flood1
Tornado1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Oct 21, 2010Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jun 18, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
May 11, 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 17, 1976DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1960

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 288 storm reports in Taylor County since 1960, with 1 death and 3 injuries and about $6.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on September 2, 2002 near Gilman.

11tornadoes
109hail reports, largest 3 inches
146damaging thunderstorm winds
11floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 2, 2002F2Gilman0 / 0
Jul 3, 1966F2–1 / 0
Jul 6, 1964F2–2 / 0
Jul 30, 1977F2–0 / 0
Jun 17, 2024EF1Lublin0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Sep 2, 2002TornadoGilman$4M
May 19, 1996Thunderstorm WindLublin$500K
May 18, 2024HailChelsea$497K
Jul 20, 2010HailGilman$350K
Jul 3, 1966Tornado–$250K
Jun 17, 2024Thunderstorm WindLublin$145K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 10, 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 Taylor County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (9 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 0 flood claims since 1978
n/acostliest year

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 Taylor County

$197,100median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1978median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
54%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
8.5%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; 9,537 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
Marathon CountyModerate10
Chippewa CountyLow9
Clark CountyLow13
Lincoln CountyLow7
Rusk CountyVery Low10
Price CountyVery Low6

Common questions about Taylor County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Taylor County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Taylor County, about $5.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $3.7 million.

How many federal disasters has Taylor County had?

Taylor 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 and Flooding in October 2010.

Is Taylor County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 60th 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 Taylor County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 1000 homes in Taylor 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 Taylor County had?

NOAA records list 11 tornadoes in Taylor County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on September 2, 2002 near Gilman. The weather service has also logged 109 hail reports and 11 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.