Dane County, WI Environment & Hazard Risk

• Cold waveVery High$44.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.7 events a year
• HailRelatively High$12.7M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.8 events a year
• TornadoRelatively High$25.9M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• Heat waveRelatively Moderate$8.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively High$710K/yr expected annual loss, about 16 events a year
• Strong windRelatively High$3M/yr expected annual loss, about 4.4 events a year
• LightningRelatively High$1.5M/yr expected annual loss, about 37 events a year
• LandslideRelatively Moderate$67K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Ice stormRelatively High$680K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• EarthquakeRelatively Low$1M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,517 years
• WildfireVery Low$105K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4,725 years
• DroughtRelatively Low$80.8K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.4 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$16.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 129 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

713 of 162,623 (0.4%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

757

Insured in high-risk zones

131 (17%)

Flood claims since 1978

333

Claims paid since 1978

$8.7M

• Hail484
• Thunderstorm Wind352
• Winter Weather169 · 6 deaths
• Dense Fog67 · 3 deaths
• Winter Storm58 · 3 deaths
• Lightning54 · 4 deaths
• Flash Flood47 · 1 death
• Tornado45 · 1 death
• Strong Wind38 · 1 death
• Heat37 · 1 death

• Winter Weather01/03/2009

  Dane

  177 injured

  What happened

  Light freezing rain spread across south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the overnight hours of January 3rd. Ice accumulations on road and sidewalks ranged from 1/10 to 2/10 of an inch, but there were some isolated 1/4 inch amounts. However, ice accumulations on trees and fences were minimal. Some light snow and sleet, with accumulations of less than an inch, occurred at the end of this winter weather event. This frezzing rain event had a large impact on society - in the form of thousands of vehicle accidents, and hundreds of people seeking medical treatment at hospitals. The media reported that vehicles slid off roads, rolled over, or slid backwards down hills. There were several reports of semi-tractor trailers jackknifing. A 7-year-old boy died (indirect) in a 2-vehicle accident near the intersection of STH 151 and CTH S southwest of Beaver Dam in Dodge County. Five other people were injured (indirect). It was reported that the vehicles were driving too fast for the icy road conditons. Two people were injured (indirect) in a 2-vehicle accident northeast of Janesville on STH 26 (Rock Co.). In Green County, the Sheriff Department noted that 6 people were...

• Flash Flood06/13/2008

  Camp Randall Stadium, Dane County

  $78.1M damage

  What happened

  Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding as water reached depths of 3 feet or more and several cars stalled. This was the last of 6 flash floods in Dane County on 3 different days. The first one occurred on June 7th, the next two on June 8th, and the last three on June 12th. In all six cases, damage to homes, businesses, and crops was noted. It was nearly impossible to break down the damages by flash flood event. Therefore, the collective breakdown is provided in this last June 12th flash flood StormData entry for Dane County.||Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 2020 minimally affected, 248 with minor damage, 109 with major damage, and 3 destroyed (total of $6.797 million). The breakdown for business losses were: 152 with minor damage, and 3 with major damage (total of $677 thousand). Crop losses were estimated at $64.6 million. Public sector damage was about $6.067 million. Several roads and bridges sustained damage.

• TornadoF3, 17 mi path, 600 yd wide08/19/2005

  Fitchburg, Dane County

  1 death, 23 injured, $35.1M damage

  What happened

  A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through residential neighborhoods about 1/3 to 1/2 mile north of CTH B (Civil Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs, and far-northern Stoughton). It moved over the crossing of CTH A with Interstate 90/39, and stayed close to CTH A to its exit point at 1905CST where CTH A crosses into Jefferson County, about 2.8 miles south-southwest of Rockdale. One person was crushed to death in their basement from fireplace and chimney bricks that crashed through the floor. Twenty-three (23) other people were directly injured. In addition, Emergency Management officials received reports of 2 other indirectly-related deaths associated with this strong tornado. In these two cases, the people were already very ill or suffering from a life-ending disease. Injuries they received during the tornado contributed (secondary) to their death, but were not the primary cause of death, based on...

• Heat07/19/2019

  Dane

  39 injured

  What happened

  Maximum heat index values of 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Dane County Emergency Management reported 39 visits to the emergency rooms across the county with 8 people admitted for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

• Flood08/21/2018

  Waunakee, Dane County

  $32.8M damage

  What happened

  Black Earth Creek crested at 9.73 feet at Black Earth around 2:00 AM on 8/21/18, and at 16.6 feet at Mazomanie around 7:00 AM. The Sugar River and many other creeks and low lying areas continued to flood. The historic flooding resulted in hundreds of citizens rescued, evacuated, or stranded, especially along the highway 14 corridor which parallels Black Earth Creek and then continues into Middleton and Madison. Homes and businesses in Cross Plains, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Middleton, and the west side of Madison were most impacted. Overall, Dane County had 380 homes with affected damage, 857 homes with minor damage, 302 homes with major damage, and 5 homes destroyed. 27 businesses had minor damage and 17 suffered major damage. |A bridge was partially washed out on highway 14 near Black Earth, with highway 14 being closed from Middleton to the Iowa County line due to many washouts and high water. Many other roads in western Dane County were closed due to washouts and high water, including southbound 151 near Mount Horeb and large portions of highway 78. 5000 feet of railroad tracks on the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad were washed out between Mazomanie and Madison.

• Lightning08/22/2007

  Downtown Madison, Dane County

  3 deaths, 2 injured, $10K damage

  What happened

  Lightning struck a power-pole, causing the attached power-line to fall onto a water-covered ground around a bus stop. As a result, three people were electrocuted - two of them while standing in the water waiting for a bus, and another person who got off of the bus. All three fatalities were indirectly-related to lightning since the people weren't struck by the lightning bolt. Two other people were injured and treated for shock at a hospital.

• Madison Water UtilityServes 272,000 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
• Sun Prairie UtilitiesServes 39,300 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
• Fitchburg Utility Dist 1Serves 29,900 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Middleton WaterworksServes 23,868 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+39 monitoring or reporting
• Waunakee WaterworksServes 14,879 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• Verona WaterworksServes 14,030 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+6 monitoring or reporting
• Stoughton WaterworksServes 13,078 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Oregon WaterworksServes 11,200 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations