Fond du Lac County, WI
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Fond du Lac County has experienced 12 federally declared disasters since 1974, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Fond du Lac County's highest-rated hazards are hail, cold wave, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 49% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (19th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Fond du Lac County has been designated in 12 declarations since 1974, covering 6 disaster types including flood (4), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 1996 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
| 1993 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1987 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976 | Flood | Severe Storms, Icing, Wind & Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 12 total declarations since 1974.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 50.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.3 | 12 | 0 | $225K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.4 | 10 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | 13 | 0 | $107K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 20.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.7 | 23 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 29.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 62.3 | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Drought | Very Low | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 55.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Fond du Lac County ranks in the 19th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 19th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 9th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 18th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 36th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 56th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 24th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 23rd | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 28.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 59 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 39 in 2016–20 vs 20 in 2021–25 (-49% — frequency decreasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Fond du Lac County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin are hail, cold wave, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Fond du Lac County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Fond du Lac County has received 12 federal disaster declarations since 1974, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).
Has Fond du Lac County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Fond du Lac County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Fond du Lac County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Winnebago County, WI has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Calumet County, WI has the lowest (Very Low). Fond du Lac County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Fond du Lac County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Fond du Lac County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Fond du Lac County's composite score of 76 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 76% of US counties.