Outagamie County, WI
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Outagamie County has experienced 11 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Outagamie County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, hail, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 29% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (7th 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. Outagamie County has been designated in 11 declarations since 1973, covering 5 disaster types including flood (4), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2001 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| 1993 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1990 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976 | Drought | Drought |
Showing the 10 most recent of 11 total declarations since 1973.
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 | 26.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | 4 | 0 | $592K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 29.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | 13 | 0 | $363K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93 | 60 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 59.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.5 | 2 | 0 | $105K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 36.5 | 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
Outagamie County ranks in the 7th 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 | 7th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 4th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 11th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 40th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 24th | Very low |
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 | 17th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 16th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 23.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 80 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 35 in 2016–20 vs 45 in 2021–25 (+29% — frequency increasing).
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 Outagamie County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Outagamie County, Wisconsin are cold wave, hail, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Outagamie County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Outagamie County has received 11 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).
Has Outagamie County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Outagamie County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Outagamie County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Brown County, WI has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Menominee County, WI has the lowest (Very Low). Outagamie County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Outagamie County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Outagamie 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. Outagamie County's composite score of 80 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 80% of US counties.