FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Lake Winnebago as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lake Winnebago gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (71%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1990.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Lake Winnebago faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Hail
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Lake Winnebago’s grade
River and rain flooding is 71% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lake Winnebago, and Lake Winnebago’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 14%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Lake Winnebago’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $801K a year in losses across Lake Winnebago: $532K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Lake Winnebago flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1990
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lake Winnebago, from FEMA’s records: 10.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 74% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Lake Winnebago isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cass County.The storms Lake Winnebago remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for Cass County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lake Winnebago itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19983 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20083 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Cass County
- 19901 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Cass County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Lake Winnebago after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lake Winnebago archive →Lake Winnebago and its neighbors
Lake Winnebago is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee's Summit | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 70 |
| Lake Winnebago | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Lake Winnebago faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Lake Winnebago
Is Lake Winnebago at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lake Winnebago has higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (71%) and tornadoes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Lake Winnebago flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Lake Winnebago since 1990, $242K in all, or 10.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 74% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Lake Winnebago in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Cass County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lake Winnebago?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lake Winnebago’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Lake Winnebago at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (71%), and Lake Winnebago’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake Winnebago.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake Winnebago’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.