Photo: Awkwafaba · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Lac La Belle
Lac La Belle isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lac La Belle has 259 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1982.
What Lac La Belle 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
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.
Does Lac La Belle flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lac La Belle, from FEMA’s records.
Lac La Belle isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Waukesha County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lac La Belle
Disasters that paid out in Lac La Belle itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Lac La Belle), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$14K to the Village of Lac La Belle for repairs
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$1K to the Village of Lac La Belle for repairs
Waukesha County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Lac La Belle after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lac La Belle archive →Lac La Belle and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ixonia | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Oconomowoc | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Lac La Belle 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.
- 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 Lac La Belle
Does Lac La Belle flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Lac La Belle since 1982, $24K in all.
Is Lac La Belle 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 Waukesha County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lac La Belle?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lac La Belle’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 Lac La Belle?
By FEMA money that reached Lac La Belle, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): $14K to the Village of Lac La Belle for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lac La Belle.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lac La Belle’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.