Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Columbus

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Columbus City Hall, Dickason Boulevard and James Street, Columbus, WI - 52808020136Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Columbus · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Columbus than in 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from hail

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Columbus gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #356 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of that expected damage is hail (62%), then river and rain flooding (30%). Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1993.

Hail 62%River and rain flooding 30%Tornadoes 6%

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

more than 82%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#356 of 362 in Wisconsin
Hazard risk
C−#356 of 362
in Wisconsin · higher than 82% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hail
62% of expected building damage
Flood claims
15
paid since 1993 · $241K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 8 declared for Columbia County
By hazard

What Columbus faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hail

62%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

River and rain flooding

30%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
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 12% of Columbus’ 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Columbus’ grade

Hail is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Columbus, and Columbus’ rate of hail damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 30% (lower than 68% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Columbus sits
Columbus
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #356 of 362 in Wisconsin; higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Columbus’ residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hail62%River and rain flooding30%Tornadoes6%Everything else2%

The typical Wisconsin town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Columbus has more expected damage per building than 98% of Wisconsin towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.8M a year in losses across Columbus: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Columbus covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Columbus flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1993

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Columbus, from FEMA’s records: 6.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 64% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 2 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 1 claim2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 8 claims2020: 2 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 1 claim2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200820192020
19932026
Biggest named events
  • The March 2019 Midwest Flooding8 claims · $168K
  • The Storm2 claims · $31K
15
paid claims since 1993
$241K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$16K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Columbia County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Columbus

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

  1. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding360 households applied for aid$655K aid approved$149K to the City of Columbus for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding38 households applied for aid$35K aid approved
  3. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$6K aid approved$12K to the City of Columbus for repairs
  4. 2000Snow$8K to the City of Columbus for repairs
  5. 2000Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$14K to the City of Columbus for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ColumbusColumbia County only

Columbia County has had 8 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Columbus archive →
Next door

Columbus and its neighbors

Columbus is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Columbus: not gradedElba: hazard risk A−ColumbusElbaColumbus
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
ElbaA−less damage than 79%river and rain flooding4
ColumbusC−more damage than 82%hail15
Columbus—556 residents; we grade 1,000+

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Columbus faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Columbus

Is Columbus at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Columbus has higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #356 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of the expected damage is hail (62%) and river and rain flooding (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Columbus flood?

Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Columbus since 1993, $241K in all, or 6.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 64% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from March 2019 Midwest Flooding (8).

Is Columbus 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 Columbia County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Columbus?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Columbus’ 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 Columbus?

By FEMA money that reached Columbus, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 360 households applied for aid, $655K approved, and $149K to the City of Columbus for repairs. By flood claims, March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 8 paid, $168K.

Is Columbus at risk from hail?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Columbus’ rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Columbus.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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