22 flood insurance claims·$166,483 paid·3 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 Portage 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and general flooding dominate the historical flood record in Portage County, Wisconsin, accounting for 16 total events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Local flood risks are driven by intense seasonal weather patterns, such as the August 27, 2021 storms that dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain overnight and caused flash flooding across central Wisconsin. Rapid snowmelt combined with spring rain also creates significant hazards, as demonstrated on March 15, 2019, when melting snowpacks and rainfall caused widespread flooding of streams, rivers, ditches, and roads. Additionally, severe storms on June 12, 2017, produced torrential rainfall that resulted in flash flooding and street flooding specifically in Stevens Point, alongside widespread wind damage and power outages.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that property owners in Zone A should pay the closest attention, representing 17 claims with an average payout of $10,160 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. However, property owners in Zone X and Zone X Unshaded must also remain vigilant, having recorded 5 combined claims with higher average payouts ranging from $10,765 to $26,456 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 2010, with 8 claims and $115,775 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
7 NOAA storm reports from Portage County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 18, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 7, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Sep 2, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 21, 2002 |
| Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jun 7, 1993 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 27, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | $105,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2017 | $500,000 |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2017 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2011 | $300,000 |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2010 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2010 | $700,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2004 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 27, 2021. Thunderstorms developed north of a warm front then tracked east during the late afternoon hours and into the evening. There was an isolated report of wind damage and several rounds of thunderstorms produced flash flooding during the overnight hours across portions of central Wisconsin as 3 to 5 inches of rain fell.
Flood · Mar 15, 2019. Several locations across northeast Wisconsin had snow depths around a foot or more above normal for late February and early March. Temperatures across central and northern Wisconsin warmed above freezing during the daytime hours starting around March 8th. Rain accompanied the warmer temperatures, and the runoff from the combination of rain and rapidly melting snow caused flooding of streams, rivers, ditches, roads…
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 2017. A stalled front across central and east central Wisconsin was the focus for severe thunderstorms. Storms developed in southern Minnesota and a bow echo formed that made its way across Wisconsin south of Highway 29. The worst damage was around Stevens Point (Portage Co.) where thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines. Power was knocked out to 15,000 to 18,000 customers. The storms also brought torre…
Flood · Jun 12, 2017. A stalled front across central and east central Wisconsin was the focus for severe thunderstorms. Storms developed in southern Minnesota and a bow echo formed that made its way across Wisconsin south of Highway 29. The worst damage was around Stevens Point (Portage Co.) where thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines. Power was knocked out to 15,000 to 18,000 customers. The storms also brought torre…
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 Portage 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.