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ArenaWisconsinPhoto: User:Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 2.5
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Arena · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Arena

Arena isn’t graded for hazard risk: Arena has 883 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 14 declared for Iowa County
By hazard

What Arena 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

80%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Lightning Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Landslides top 3% Hurricanes Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 11% of Arena’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Arena flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Arena. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Arena isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Iowa County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Arena

Disasters that paid out in Arena itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Arena), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2013Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$5K to the Village of Arena for repairs
  2. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Village of Arena for repairs
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding81 households applied for aid$145K aid approved$97K to the Village of Arena for repairs
  4. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$429 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ArenaIowa County only

Iowa County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Arena after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Arena archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Arena faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Arena

Is Arena 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 Iowa County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Arena?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Arena’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Arena?

By FEMA money that reached Arena, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 81 households applied for aid, $145K approved, and $97K to the Village of Arena for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Arena.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Arena’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.