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TheresaWisconsinDowntownWIS175YellowstoneTrailPhoto: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
AHazard risk
Natural hazards in Theresa · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Theresa than in 92% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Theresa gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then tornadoes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1999.

River and rain flooding 69%Tornadoes 16%Hail 11%

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

less than 92%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A
in Wisconsin · lower than 92% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
69% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 1999 · $9K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
4
of 10 declared for Dodge County
By hazard

What Theresa 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

69%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Lightning Wildfire Hurricanes 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 19% of Theresa’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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Theresa’s grade

River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Theresa, and Theresa’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 16% (higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Theresa sits
Theresa
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Theresa’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding69%Tornadoes16%Hail11%Everything else3%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $500K a year in losses across Theresa: $314K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Theresa’s 1,255 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Lomira village (2,678 residents) and Lomira town (1,099 residents) and Brownsville village (598 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Theresa flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1999

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Theresa, from FEMA’s records: 4.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1999: 1 claim2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 2 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19992008
19992026
Biggest named events
  • The Storm2 claims · $7K
3
paid claims since 1999
$9K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$3K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Dodge County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Theresa

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

  1. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Village of Theresa for repairs
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding12 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$11K to the Village of Theresa for repairs
  3. 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$3K to the Village of Theresa for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$147 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in TheresaDodge County only

Dodge County has had 10 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 Theresa after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Theresa archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Theresa 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Theresa

Is Theresa at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Theresa has lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and tornadoes (16%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Theresa flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Theresa since 1999, $9K in all, or 4.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Storm (2).

Is Theresa 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 Dodge County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Theresa?

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

By FEMA money that reached Theresa, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 12 households applied for aid, $10K approved, and $11K to the Village of Theresa for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 2 paid, $7K.

Is Theresa at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Theresa’s rate for it is lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Theresa.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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