FEMA puts Port Edwards’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Edwards gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Port Edwards 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
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 Port Edwards’ grade
River and rain flooding is 90% of the building damage FEMA expects in Port Edwards, and Port Edwards’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 5%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Port Edwards’ residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Port Edwards: $971K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Port Edwards flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Port Edwards. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Port Edwards isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wood County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Port Edwards
Disasters that paid out in Port Edwards itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Port Edwards), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$47K to the Village of Port Edwards for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$5K to the Village of Port Edwards for repairs
- 2001Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes$5K to the Village of Port Edwards for repairs
Wood County has had 10 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.
Old photos of Port Edwards after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Port Edwards archive →Port Edwards and its neighbors
Port Edwards is 6th of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Wisconsin Rapids | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Seneca | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Port Edwards | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Saratoga | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Port Edwards | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Nekoosa | Dmore damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
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 Port Edwards 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.
- 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 Port Edwards
Is Port Edwards at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Edwards has higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Port Edwards 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 Wood County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Port Edwards?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Port Edwards’ 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 Port Edwards?
By FEMA money that reached Port Edwards, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): $47K to the Village of Port Edwards for repairs.
Is Port Edwards at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (90%), and Port Edwards’ rate for it is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Port Edwards.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Port Edwards’ 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.