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WestBarabooWisconsinDowntownWIS136EastTerminusPhoto: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in West Baraboo · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in West Baraboo than in 72% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Baraboo gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.

River and rain flooding 69%Tornadoes 14%Hail 14%

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 72%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B+
in Wisconsin · lower than 72% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
69% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 2008 · $7K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 12 declared for Sauk County
By hazard

What West Baraboo 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
Below average · lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Lightning top 2% Earthquakes 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 24% of West Baraboo’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 West Baraboo’s grade

River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Baraboo, and West Baraboo’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 14%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Where West Baraboo sits
West Baraboo
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns (21,298).

West Baraboo’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding69%Tornadoes14%Hail14%Everything else2%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $637K a year in losses across West Baraboo: $376K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. West Baraboo covers 3 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 West Baraboo flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2008

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Baraboo, from FEMA’s records: 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 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 claims2008
20082026
Biggest named events
  • The Storm1 claim · $7K
1
paid claims since 2008
$7K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$7K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Sauk County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to West Baraboo

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

  1. 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides$18K to the Village of West Baraboo for repairs
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$6K to the Village of West Baraboo for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  3. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
  4. 2000Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$8K to the Village of West Baraboo for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in West BarabooSauk County only

Sauk County has had 12 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 West Baraboo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the West Baraboo archive →
Next door

West Baraboo and its neighbors

West Baraboo has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Baraboo: hazard risk B−Baraboo: hazard risk B+BarabooBarabooWest Baraboo
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
West BarabooB+less damage than 72%river and rain flooding1
BarabooB+less damage than 71%river and rain flooding6
BarabooB−less damage than 52%river and rain flooding—

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 West Baraboo 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 West Baraboo

Is West Baraboo at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Baraboo has lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and tornadoes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does West Baraboo flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in West Baraboo since 2008, $7K in all, or 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Storm (1).

Is West Baraboo 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 Sauk County, 39% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in West Baraboo?

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

By FEMA money that reached West Baraboo, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides (2018): $18K to the Village of West Baraboo for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 1 paid, $7K.

Is West Baraboo at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and West Baraboo’s rate for it is lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Baraboo.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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