178 flood insurance claims·$4.1M paid·7 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 Vernon 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 and heavy summer rainfall dominate the flood history of Vernon County, with 112 flood events and 43 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years, resulting in a combined four deaths. Severe weather produced widespread impacts recently, such as in June 2024 when rainfall totals upwards of five inches pushed the Mississippi River and other river basins into flood stage. Subsequent storms in July 2024 caused additional runoff, most notably raising the Kickapoo River at Ontario into major flood stage with a river stage of just under 20 feet.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties situated within FEMA flood zones face distinct financial risks. Zone A properties account for the highest impact with 111 claims, an average payout of $31,716, and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X properties recorded 55 claims with an average payout of $27,023 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located near rivers and within designated Zone A and Zone X flood hazard areas, where historical claims and average water depths demonstrate measurable flood vulnerability.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
3% of Vernon County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
115 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 9 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 36 claims and $2.1M 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.
97 NOAA storm reports from Vernon County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 18, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides | Aug 17, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 5, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
155 since 1996: 43 flash floods and 112 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 23, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Jul 15, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Apr 17, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 28, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2021 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2024. During the evening on June 22nd, thunderstorms moved southeast into portions of southwestern Wisconsin with flooding occurring in Crawford and Vernon Counties. A weak EF-0 tornado also occurred in Grant County.
Flood · Jul 15, 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.
Flood · Jul 1, 2024. Heavy rainfall throughout June led to many locations along the Mississippi River in Western Wisconsin to enter flood stage which persisted into July. During the first week of July many points along the Mississippi River observed their maximum river stage in minor to moderate flooding. As relatively drier conditions took hold over the first half of July, river stages fell below flood stage into the middle of the mo…
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 Vernon 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.