198 flood insurance claims·$6.8M 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 Sauk 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 and river flooding occur in equal measure in Sauk County, driven by a mix of 35 flash flood events and 33 general flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall and severe storms frequently trigger this risk, as seen in June 2024 when severe thunderstorms and passing low pressure produced torrential rain and flash flooding. Similarly, a stationary front brought 4 to 6 inches of rain in October 2020, causing creeks, low-lying areas, and roads to flood and wash out. Winter and spring conditions also contribute, as demonstrated in March 2019 when mild temperatures and rainfall caused snowmelt and excessive runoff over frozen ground, leading to river flooding, ice jams, evacuations, and American Red Cross responses.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 120 claims averaging a $42,016 payout and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Zone X accounts for 58 claims averaging a $47,078 payout and an average recorded water depth of 15 inches. Unshaded Zone X properties have filed 15 claims with an average payout of $8,777 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, while an unknown zone category records 5 claims averaging an $878 payout with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A and Zone X should pay the closest attention to these flood risks, given the higher frequency and severity of claims in those areas.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Sauk County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
135 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 13 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 2018, with 77 claims and $3.5M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides.
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.
40 NOAA storm reports from Sauk County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides | Aug 17, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 5, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 7, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 26, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jun 7, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 14, 1992 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
68 since 1996: 35 flash floods and 33 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 22, 2020 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | $500 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2024. Severe thunderstorms developed across western Wisconsin and moved eastward across southern Wisconsin through the afternoon and evening hours on June 22nd due to passing low pressure and its approaching cold front. There were supercell thunderstorms along with bowing segments along this line which lead to multiple areas of damage. Two strong tornadoes occurred, which were rated EF-2 near Argyle and through the so…
Flash Flood · Oct 22, 2020. A persistent surge of relatively moist and unstable air north of a stationary front brought heavy rain and flash flooding to portions of south central WI. 4-6 inches of rain fell. Various creeks or low lying areas flooded and resulted in some flooded, washed out, and closed roads.
Flood · Mar 15, 2019. Mild temperatures and some rainfall led to snow melt and excessive runoff on a frozen ground. Numerous rivers flooded including flooding in atypical areas due to ice jams. Evacuations were needed in some communities. The American Red Cross did respond in some cases to aid the flood victims.
Flood · Mar 14, 2019. Mild temperatures and some rainfall led to snow melt and excessive runoff on a frozen ground. Numerous rivers flooded including flooding in atypical areas due to ice jams. Evacuations were needed in some communities. The American Red Cross did respond in some cases to aid the flood victims.
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 Sauk 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.