36 flood insurance claims·$279,528 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Burnett County, Wisconsin. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 23 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2001, with 12 claims and $91,904 paid, the year of Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
9 NOAA storm reports from Burnett County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
10 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 11, 2016 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Sep 2, 2002 |
| Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 26, 2000 |
| Winds, Hail & Rain | Aug 5, 1977 |
| Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
11 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 26, 2024 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 30, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Oct 4, 2005 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 23, 2025. Thunderstorms moved across the region during the morning of the 23rd ahead of a cold front. While the storms were not severe as they reached northwestern Wisconsin, they were producing heavy rainfall. State Highway 35 through Siren was covered by water during the late morning hours following the storms leading to minor traffic issues.
Flash Flood · Aug 26, 2024. Storms developed across Minnesota during the afternoon hours of the 26th across Minnesota and moved into northwest Wisconsin during the evening hours. These storms were mainly wind producing storms with numerous reports of downed trees and power lines across the region. Minor flash flooding was also observed in Siren.
Flash Flood · Jul 27, 2023. Warm and humid conditions developed across northeastern Minnesota on the 27th ahead of a frontal boundary that stalled out across the region. Storms were primarily hail producers across northeastern Minnesota but transitioned to more of a wind threat as they grew upscale across northwestern Wisconsin. Numerous reports of trees and powerlines downed were received across the area with some flash flooding occurring l…
Flood · Apr 12, 2023. Record breaking snowfall for the 2022-2023 winter season was received across all of northwest Wisconsin which was about 200% of normal snowfall. Much of this snowpack remained on the ground into April. Warm temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal during the second week of the month led to rapid snowmelt across the region with fast rises on area waterways. This above normal warmth was quickly followed by a late…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Burnett County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.