Home › Wisconsin › Waupaca County

Waupaca County, Wisconsin

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

Relatively Low overall risk
31st of 72highest risk in Wisconsin
$24Mexpected losses a year
9federal declarations
1 in 143homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Waupaca County, Wisconsin has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 68% of US counties. It ranks 31st of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $24 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $460 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (severe storms, tornadoes and flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (138 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $2.4 million on 145 claims here, including $2.1 million for floods in 2026.

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

Top risks in Waupaca County

$10.1 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.
$7.3 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.

Tornado

Moderate
$3 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow66.3
$10M
Cold waveHigh91.6
$7M
TornadoModerate76.8
$3M
HailModerate88.6
$1M
Strong windModerate66.2
$776K
LightningModerate79.5
$633K
Heat waveLow54.6
$414K
Winter weatherLow60.6
$83K
Ice stormLow42.4
$53K
WildfireVery Low40.9
$25K
EarthquakeVery Low19.3
$24K
LandslideVery Low61.9
$3K
DroughtVery Low16.8
$1K

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 high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Flood4
Severe Storm2
Drought1
Tornado1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jun 30, 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
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
May 11, 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jul 2, 1993Severe 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 1951

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 357 storm reports in Waupaca County since 1951, with 6 deaths and 14 injuries and about $9.4 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F4 tornado on September 26, 1951.

25tornadoes
117hail reports, largest 2 inches
185damaging thunderstorm winds
13floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 26, 1951F4–3 / 6
Apr 27, 1984F3–0 / 0
Aug 6, 2013EF2New London0 / 0
Jun 23, 2004F2Waupaca0 / 0
May 8, 1964F2–1 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 27, 1984Tornado–$3M
Jun 11, 2001Thunderstorm WindIola$1M
Aug 6, 2013TornadoNew London$1M
Jun 23, 2004TornadoWaupaca$915K
Jul 5, 2024Flash FloodManawa$260K
Sep 26, 1951Tornado–$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Apr 16, 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 Waupaca County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.7%of homes have federal flood insurance (138 policies)
22.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$2.4 millionpaid on 145 flood claims since 1978
2026costliest year, with $2.1 million 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 Waupaca County

$211,400median home value (Wisconsin $266,500, US $332,700)
1975median year homes were built (Wisconsin 1975, US 1980)
57%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.8%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; 25,791 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
Outagamie CountyLow10
Winnebago CountyModerate10
Marathon CountyModerate10
Portage CountyLow10
Shawano CountyLow6
Waushara CountyLow8

Common questions about Waupaca County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Waupaca County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Waupaca County, about $10.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $7.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Waupaca County had?

Waupaca County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding in June 2026.

Is Waupaca County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 31st 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 Waupaca County?

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

NOAA records list 25 tornadoes in Waupaca County since 1950. The strongest was an F4 tornado on September 26, 1951. The weather service has also logged 117 hail reports and 13 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.