141 flood insurance claims·$2.6M 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 Trempealeau 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.
River overflow along the Mississippi and other regional river basins dominates the flood profile of Trempealeau County, supported by NOAA records from the last 30 years documenting 81 general flood events compared to 21 flash flood events. Heavy rainfall events drive this activity, such as in August 2025 when precipitation caused minor flooding along the Trempealeau and Platte rivers. Similarly, above-normal rainfall and amounts exceeding 5 inches between June 20th and 22nd, 2024, pushed the Mississippi River and other basins into flood stage, with minor to moderate flooding persisting into July 2024.
NFIP historical claims data indicates that properties located in FEMA Flood Zone A face the highest risk, accounting for 119 claims with an average payout of $26,165 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. By comparison, Zone X recorded 14 claims with an average payout of $14,374 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X unshaded recorded 8 claims with an average payout of $6,540 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated near rivers and within designated Zone A areas, where historical claims and average water depths are significantly higher.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6% of Trempealeau County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
127 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 7 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 28 claims and $572,802 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.
55 NOAA storm reports from Trempealeau County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 7, 2004 |
| Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Severe Storms,straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,rain,and Floodi | Jun 18, 1998 |
| 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.
102 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 81 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 19, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | $70,000 |
| Flood | Oct 26, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Oct 25, 2023 | $15,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Aug 19, 2025. Heavy rainfall during the middle of August resulted in minor flooding along portions of the Trempealeau and Platte rivers in Western Wisconsin.
Flood · Jun 24, 2024. Above normal rainfall over the course of June in combination with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd led to widespread river flooding across portions of western Wisconsin. Rainfall amounts upwards of 5 inches between the 20th and 22nd allowed the Mississippi River and many other river basins in western Wisconsin to enter flood stage towards the end of June. Flooding along the Mississippi River main…
Flood · Jun 23, 2024. Above normal rainfall over the course of June in combination with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd led to widespread river flooding across portions of western Wisconsin. Rainfall amounts upwards of 5 inches between the 20th and 22nd allowed the Mississippi River and many other river basins in western Wisconsin to enter flood stage towards the end of June. Flooding along the Mississippi River main…
Flood · Jul 16, 2024. Rounds of thunderstorms during the middle of July led to increased runoff across portions of western Wisconsin. As a result, several river basins rose into flood stage with the passage of these storms. Most notably, the Kickapoo River at Ontario entered major flood stage with a river stage of just under 20 feet.
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 Trempealeau 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.