Enter any address in Polk County, Wisconsin to see its FEMA flood zone
2 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Polk County, Wisconsin has recorded 11 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 7 flash floods and 4 river or area floods. The county has received 10 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jul 18, 2019 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Tornado | Sep 2, 2002 |
| Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Flood | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 26, 2000 |
| Winds, Hail & Rain | Severe Storm | Aug 5, 1977 |
| Drought | Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
| Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Tornado | Apr 21, 1965 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | 18.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2012 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Oct 4, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2002 | 400K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2001 | — |
Flood — Mar 15, 2019
There were many factors that led to a severe Spring flood melt along the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers and several of their tributaries during the last two weeks of March. The first factor was above average snowpack for mid March. Additionally, the added effect of a cold late Winter kept this snowpack deeper into the early Spring. Once temperatures warmed, and snow began to melt, a few storms ...
Flash Flood — Sep 17, 2015
Several waves of thunderstorms moved across east central Minnesota, and into west central Wisconsin during the morning of Thursday, September, 17th. These storms dropped up to 5-6 inches of rain in Barron County before 9 AM LST. There were reports of washed out roads near Cameron, Barron and Chetek. Heavy rainfall, and associated runoff, also caused several creeks near Bloomer in Chippewa Count...
Flash Flood — May 27, 2012
Bands of thunderstorms developed during the evening of Sunday, May 27th, across portions of southwest, and east central Minnesota. The storms that moved from east central Minnesota, northeast into west central Wisconsin, became severe, along with several rounds of the storms in Polk County. This caused flash flooding in the county, along with rainfall amounts as high as 2 to 4 inches in less t...
Flash Flood — Jul 16, 2011
A small complex of thunderstorms developed across central Minnesota, and moved southeast across the northern Twin Cities Metro area and portions of west central Wisconsin, produced locally four to six inches of rainfall in less than 4 hours.||The worst areas were in the town of Woodmohr, and east of the city of Bloomer. A few roads were closed due to the flooding including;||The intersection o...
Flash Flood — Aug 11, 2010
Several rounds of heavy rainfall led to signficant flash flooding in portions of east-central Minnesota, and west-central Wisconsin. Several areas from Prescott, Wisconsin, northeast to River Falls and Menomonie, has several inches of rainfall in a short period of time that led to flash flooding. Several observers reported rainfall rates as high as 2 inches per hour, with one report of 4.91 in...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Polk County, Wisconsin:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Polk County, Wisconsin that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.