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Natural hazard risk in Door County, Wisconsin

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 46.8 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$14.7 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1973
4[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$598,000[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
9[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk for Door County as Relatively Low, with a score of 46.8 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in the county are cold wave, hail and inland flooding[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) lists $14.7 million a year in Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Door County[1]. This is a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. FEMA's largest hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values are inland flooding ($6.9 million a year), cold wave ($5.1 million a year) and tornado ($1.1 million a year)[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability as Relatively Moderate[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience as Very High compared with other US counties[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$5.1 million[11]
HailRelatively Low$609,000[12]
Inland FloodingRelatively Low$6.9 million[13]
LightningRelatively Low$217,000[14]
TornadoRelatively Low$1.1 million[15]
Strong WindRelatively Low$486,000[16]
Coastal FloodingVery Low$16,000[17]
Ice StormRelatively Low$52,000[18]
WildfireVery Low$25,000[19]
LandslideVery Low$634[20]
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$23,000[21]
EarthquakeVery Low$13,000[22]
Heat WaveVery Low$16,000[23]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, volcanic activity[24].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate45.2[9]
Community resilienceVery High99.7[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Low and coastal flooding risk Very Low for Door County, compared with other US counties[13][17]. OpenFEMA lists 143 residential flood insurance contracts in force, a penetration rate of 0.7% of residential structures[25]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 8.7% of homes are insured[25]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data lists 65 claims for losses in Door County from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $598,000 in total[3]. For the flood zone of a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[26].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[13] Relatively Low, $6.9 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[17] Very Low, $16,000 expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[25] 143 of 20,850 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[25] 928, of which 81 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 65 filed, $598,000 paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[26]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 4 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Door County since 1973[2]. The most recent, declared 2005-09-13, was EM-3249-WI, Hurricane Katrina Evacuation[27]. NOAA's tornado database records 9 tornadoes touching Door County from 1950 to 2024[4]. The most recent was on 2024-05-21[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Door County, since 1973
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 1
Drought[2] 1
Snowstorm[2] 1
Flood[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3249-WI[27] Hurricane Katrina Evacuation 2005-09-13
EM-3163-WI[27] Snow 2001-01-24
EM-3014-WI[27] Drought 1976-06-17
DR-376-WI[27] Severe Storms & Flooding 1973-04-27

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is Door County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Low and coastal flooding risk Very Low compared with other US counties[13][17]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows flood zones for a specific address[26].
Is Door County at risk of tornadoes?
FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[15]. NOAA's tornado database records 9 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4].
Is Door County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Very Low for Door County compared with other US counties[22].
Is Door County at risk of wildfire?
FEMA rates wildfire risk Very Low for Door County compared with other US counties[19].
How many disasters have been declared in Door County?
OpenFEMA lists 4 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Door County since 1973[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Door County is $14.7 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 49.7). Of this, buildings account for $8.4 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $5.9 million... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 4 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Door County since 1973 (1 major disaster, 3 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 1, drought 1, snowstorm 1, flood 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other non-natural declarations... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 65 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Door County, 35 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $598,000 in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years with... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 9 recorded tornadoes touched Door County. The strongest were rated F3 (most recent of them on 1998-08-23). 1 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-05-21. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Door County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 46.8 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Door County are cold wave (85.6, Relatively Moderate), hail (72.0, Relatively Low), inland flooding (52.0, Relatively Low). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Door County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($6.9 million a year), cold wave ($5.1 million a year), tornado ($1.1 million a year), out of $14.7 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Door County is Relatively Moderate (score 45.2). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Door County is Very High (score 99.7). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 85.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 5.11 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 72.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $609,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.11 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 52.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6.9 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 48.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $217,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 26.49 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 47.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.1 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.27 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 46.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $486,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.2 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Door County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 40.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0135 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 40.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $52,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.17 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Door County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 39.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $25,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0001 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Door County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 39.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $634 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Door County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 24.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $23,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 16 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Door County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 12.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0003 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Door County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 9.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.16 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Door County: avalanche, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  25. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 143 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Door County, out of 20,850 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.7%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 928 residential structures and 81 contracts, a rate of... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  26. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  27. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.