Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Jefferson County, WI

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
55055
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2030-08-05. Plan: Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820), approved 2025-08-06.

Since the plan was approved on 2025-08-06: 1 new hazard declaration (1 incident): DR-4923-WI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding).

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 39 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($22,680,655 a year), Tornado ($6,670,969) and Cold Wave ($6,085,640).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 10, SRL 8 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 36.

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2030-08-05
Plan:
Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)
Approved:
2025-08-06
Days to expiry:
1,405

What changed since your last plan (approved 2025-08-06)

New federal declarations:
1 new hazard declaration (1 incident): DR-4923-WI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding)
Storm Events records since approval:
39 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 10, SRL 8 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 36
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county: 16 rows, in the section "Plan clock: Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county" on the following pages.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Plan clock

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Jefferson CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405
Cambridge villageVillagePlan 110820 approved 2025-08-06, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleJefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820), pending adoption here2025-08-06 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2030-08-05 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Fort Atkinson cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Jefferson cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Johnson Creek villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Lac La Belle villageVillagePlan 108320 approved 2022-08-25, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleWaukesha County (FEMA plan 108320), pending adoption here2022-08-25 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2027-08-24 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Lake Mills cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Palmyra villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Sullivan villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Waterloo cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Watertown cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Whitewater cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Farmington townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Hebron townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Milford townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20
Watertown townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110820)2025-08-062030-08-051,405this jurisdiction approved 2026-01-20

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$22,056,221$610,565$13,869$22,680,65560
2TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$3,532,817$14,691$3,123,461$6,670,96936
3Cold WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively High$143$474$6,085,023$6,085,64036Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
4HailRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$2,454,567$103,331$217,727$2,775,625152
5Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$233$4$1,152,312$1,152,54942
6Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$412,404$51,380$593,039$1,056,823263Includes 14 High Wind and 40 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
7LightningRelatively ModerateRelatively High$64,166n/a$831,786$895,95124
8EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$179,565n/a$45,526$225,092Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
9Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$1,501$1,956$100,327$103,784230
10Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$8,169n/a$67,800$75,9683
11DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$64,349n/a$64,34918
12WildfireVery LowVery Low$27,837$99$2,784$30,7210No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13HurricaneVery LowVery Low$2,062$2,095under $1$4,1580No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$414n/a$2,414$2,8280No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 1013 (Relatively Low, 41.9); tract 1001 (Very Low, 40.0); tract 1016 (Very Low, 37.4)
Hurricanetract 1004 (Very Low, 29.8); tract 1009 (Very Low, 27.3); tract 1008 (Very Low, 27.0)
Landslidetract 1004 (Relatively Low, 90.9); tract 1009 (Relatively Low, 89.0); tract 1016 (Relatively Low, 87.4)
Tornadotract 1013 (Very High, 94.7); tract 1016 (Very High, 93.6); tract 1001 (Relatively High, 93.1)
Wildfiretract 1008 (Relatively Low, 76.9); tract 1017.02 (Relatively Low, 76.1); tract 1007 (Relatively Low, 75.4)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 1013 is Census Tract 1013). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill35 records, 1996 to 2026 (35 zone-level)1 day to 13 days (median 2 days); 30 with a recorded value13 consecutive days, 2017-12-25 to 2018-01-06, zone-levelCold/Wind Chill, 2007-02-03, $2,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2016 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)18 records, 2002 to 2012 (18 zone-level)11 days to 158 days (median 131 days); 5 with a recorded value158 days (about 5.2 months), 2012-06-26 to 2012-11-30, a run of 6 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelDrought, 2002-08-01, property not reported; $200,000 crops, reported for the zone (2002 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)176 records, 1956 to 20260.75 in to 4.25 in (median 1 in); 176 with a recorded value4.25 in hail, 2011-05-11; same size also recorded on 2006-04-13Hail, 2006-04-13, $4,360,000 property; crops not reported (2006 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Lake Mills city (25 records), Fort Atkinson city (21 records), Waterloo city (16 records), Watertown city (15 records), Watertown town (15 records), Johnson Creek village (13 records), Jefferson city (11 records), Palmyra village (10 records), Sullivan village (10 records), Cambridge village (3 records); and 3 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)42 records, 1998 to 2026 (42 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2 days); 36 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 2011-07-17 to 2011-07-21, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed). Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)3 records, 1996 to 2008 (3 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2008-02-17, $20,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars); NWS zone WIZ064Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)60 records, 1996 to 2026 (7 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2008-06-08, $102,220,000 property; $35,000,000 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Fort Atkinson city (14 records), Watertown city (8 records), Watertown town (8 records), Jefferson city (7 records), Waterloo city (4 records), Lake Mills city (3 records), Milford town (2 records), Johnson Creek village (1 record), Sullivan village (1 record). Zone-level records (7) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)24 records, 1996 to 2026Lightning, 2008-07-07, $0 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars), 1 direct deathLightning, 1997-07-16, $250,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Watertown city (6 records), Watertown town (6 records), Fort Atkinson city (4 records), Lake Mills city (3 records), Waterloo city (2 records), Cambridge village (1 record), Palmyra village (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)54 records, 1996 to 2026 (53 zone-level)26 kt (30 mph) to 63 kt (72 mph) (median 39 kt (45 mph)); 46 with a recorded value63 kt (72 mph), measurement type not recorded, High Wind, 1997-04-06; NWS zone WIZ064High Wind, 1998-11-10, $900,000 property; $200,000 crops, reported for the zone (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Sullivan village (1 record). Zone-level records (53) apply countywide.
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)305 records, 1960 to 202643 kt (49 mph) to 80 kt (92 mph) (median 54 kt (62 mph)); 196 with a recorded value80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2004-06-23Thunderstorm Wind, 1998-05-31, $2,700,000 property; $200,000 crops (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Fort Atkinson city (45 records), Palmyra village (29 records), Lake Mills city (26 records), Watertown city (19 records), Watertown town (19 records), Jefferson city (17 records), Sullivan village (15 records), Waterloo city (15 records), Johnson Creek village (9 records), Hebron town (7 records); and 4 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)51 records, 1965 to 2026F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF1); 51 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1980-06-05, 10.7 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 100 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1980 dollars)Tornado, 1965-04-11, $2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1965 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Fort Atkinson city (9 records), Sullivan village (3 records), Farmington town (2 records), Lake Mills city (2 records), Palmyra village (2 records), Waterloo city (2 records), Cambridge village (1 record), Johnson Creek village (1 record), Watertown city (1 record), Watertown town (1 record); and 1 more jurisdiction (see the Excel file).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)230 records, 1996 to 2026 (230 zone-level)Winter Weather, 2007-12-15, $50,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone WIZ064Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Where a hazard names more than 10 jurisdictions, the table lists the 10 with the most records; every one is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-c Extent".

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 14 declarations covering 11 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-06-302026-04-13DR-4923-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Tornado$149,222.87new since last plan; within last 5 years
2020-04-042020-01-20DR-4520-WIMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3454-WIEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4520
2008-06-142008-06-05DR-1768-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado$1,832,078.38
2008-03-192008-02-05EM-3285-WIEmergencyRecord Snow and Near Record SnowWinter Weather$232,341.42
2007-08-262007-08-18DR-1719-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
2005-09-132005-08-29EM-3249-WIEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-06-182004-05-07DR-1526-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$224,686.14
1993-07-021993-06-07DR-994-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1991-08-061991-07-07DR-912-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms & HailHailno Public Assistance recorded
1976-06-171976-06-17EM-3014-WIEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1976-03-231976-03-23DR-496-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms, Icing, Wind & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1973-04-271973-04-27DR-376-WIMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1965-04-211965-04-21DR-192-WIMajor disasterTornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingTornado (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Public Assistance filed under this county for declarations that do not list it: 2 rows, $16,707.02

Sources: 2, 3

FEMA numberDeclaredTitleApplicantPA obligatedfederal share obligated, nominal dollars
DR-1966-WI2011-04-05Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormWatertown, City of$11,967.39
DR-1966-WI2011-04-05Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormPortland, Town of (Dodge County)$4,739.63

FEMA's Public Assistance summaries file these applicants under this county, but FEMA's declaration rows for these disasters do not designate it (an electric cooperative or district serving several counties, for example). Not in any declaration row above and not counted.

Public Assistance not placed in any Wisconsin county: 1 row, $87,788.41; listed on the Wisconsin state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave36125001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought18000101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail17681538101955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave42238001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm3000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding605010811996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning24101001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind3599536001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 14 High Wind and 40 Strong Wind records.
Tornado511012411950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather23012546101996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationWhy listed
2017-12-25Cold/Wind Chillproperty not reported; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2016-01-04Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2016 dollars)1, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2011-07-17Excessive Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2011-05-11Hail4.25 indamage not reported0, 0JEFFERSONB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2008-07-07Lightning$0 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)1, 0GRELLTONdeaths or injuries recorded
2008-06-08Flash Flood$102,220,000 property; $35,000,000 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0LAKE MILLS to FT ATKINSONB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2008-02-17Ice Storm$20,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2007-12-15Winter Weather$50,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2004-06-23Thunderstorm Wind80 kt (92 mph) estimated gustdamage not reported0, 0FT ATKINSONB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1997-04-06High Wind63 kt (72 mph), measurement type not recorded$100,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (1997 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WIZ064 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1980-06-05TornadoF3, 10.7 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 100 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1980 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1965-04-11TornadoF2, 14.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 1,320 yd wide$2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1965 dollars)3, 28location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (999 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

1 Fire Management declaration (1980-04-24 to 1980-04-24) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave5.47event-days per yearabout 5.47 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 20 of 30 years)event-days in 20 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (66.7%)1042005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought1.64event-days per yearabout 1.64 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)772000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.0007annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.07%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.96events per yearabout 3.96 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)150.6 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave3.42event-days per yearabout 3.42 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 18 of 30 years)event-days in 18 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (60%)502005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.00701events per yearabout 1 in 143 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.599event-days per yearabout 0.599 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 3 of 30 years)event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)411946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding1.57event-days per yearabout 1.57 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 17 of 30 years)event-days in 17 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (56.7%)441996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.105events per year (modeled)about 1 in 10 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning36.9days per year with a strikeabout 36.9 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind4.55events per yearabout 4.55 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1741986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.427events per yearabout 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000237annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0237%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather15.1event-days per yearabout 15.1 days per yearHighly likely (from Storm Events: 29 of 30 years)event-days in 29 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (96.7%)2872005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202565302.17
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202512300.4
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025151305.03
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202518300.6
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202534301.13
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202535301.17
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave21 of 2165.387.595.0Relatively High 16, Relatively Moderate 5
Drought20 of 2168.980.488.0Relatively Low 12, Very Low 8, No Rating 1
Earthquake21 of 2110.826.241.9Relatively Low 1, Very Low 20
Hail21 of 2182.392.896.0Relatively High 16, Relatively Moderate 5
Heat Wave21 of 2125.058.476.4Relatively Moderate 13, Relatively Low 8
Hurricane21 of 2117.421.029.8Very Low 21
Ice Storm21 of 2115.338.359.8Relatively Low 15, Very Low 6
Inland Flooding21 of 219.576.496.8Very High 1, Relatively High 9, Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 4, Very Low 1
Landslide21 of 2129.970.490.9Relatively Low 8, Very Low 13
Lightning21 of 2156.086.695.8Very High 1, Relatively High 15, Relatively Moderate 5
Strong Wind21 of 2149.176.887.9Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 14, Relatively Low 2
Tornado21 of 2162.684.394.7Very High 2, Relatively High 14, Relatively Moderate 5
Wildfire20 of 2126.166.176.9Relatively Low 9, Very Low 11, No Rating 1
Winter Weather21 of 2140.563.276.9Relatively Moderate 16, Relatively Low 5

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Jefferson CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 10, SRL 7; any 31$377,838.350 total; 0 since its plan
Cambridge villageVillagePlan 110820 approved 2025-08-06, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded10 total; no approved plan
Fort Atkinson cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 4$309,316.8093 total; 4 since its plan
Jefferson cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$420,089.6535 total; 0 since its plan
Johnson Creek villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$4,156.6424 total; 0 since its plan
Lac La Belle villageVillagePlan 108320 approved 2022-08-25, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; no approved plan
Lake Mills cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$11,875.3959 total; 1 since its plan
Palmyra villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$14,953.6742 total; 0 since its plan
Sullivan villageVillageApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$5,722.1630 total; 1 since its plan
Waterloo cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$262,792.9039 total; 3 since its plan
Watertown cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$224,194.1049 total; 4 since its plan
Whitewater cityCityApproved, expires 2030-08-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$23,396.604 total; 0 since its plan
Farmington townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05$3,451.325 total; 0 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.
Hebron townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05$32,431.869 total; 0 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.
Milford townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05$8,912.504 total; 0 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.
Watertown townTownApproved, expires 2030-08-05$15,675.3549 total; 4 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2025-08-06county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$143$474$6,085,023under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$95,816,490n/an/a$64,349n/a0.0672% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$47,230,054,533n/a84,900$179,565n/a$45,5260.00038%
Hail$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$2,454,567$103,331$217,7270.00904%$0
Heat Wave$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$233$4$1,152,312under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$2,062$2,095under $1under 0.0001%
Ice Storm$27,141,518,937n/a84,877$8,169n/a$67,800under 0.0001%
Inland Flooding$27,083,425,320$38,384,9821,526$22,056,221$610,565$13,869n/a (see note)$44,000$149,222.87NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$250,150,032n/a783$414n/a$2,4140.000166%
Lightning$27,141,518,937n/a84,877$64,166n/a$831,7860.000236%$50,000
Strong Wind$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$412,404$51,380$593,0390.00152%$164,000$10,000Storm Events damage since the plan includes 1 zone-level Strong Wind record ($10,000): a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$3,532,817$14,691$3,123,4610.013%$1,000$149,222.87
Wildfire$1,737,405,794$57,086,9327,671$27,837$99$2,7840.0016%
Winter Weather$27,141,518,937$393,082,36684,877$1,501$1,956$100,327under 0.0001%$0

Totals since 2025-08-06 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 23 county-coded records, 23 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $259,000; 16 zone-level records, 16 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $10,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $149,222.87 on 1 counted declaration.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population84,877
Building value (total, not at risk)$27,141,518,937
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$393,082,366
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$29,589,044
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$12,236,067
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingVery High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)10Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)8
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition28Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition3

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total1082833678
of which: Jefferson County (unincorporated area)1072323178
of which: Fort Atkinson city0141400
of which: Jefferson city0010100
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0020200

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Jefferson County5501911072323178
Cambridge village5500800000000
Fort Atkinson city5555540141400
Jefferson city5555610010100
Johnson Creek village5501940000000
Lac La Belle village5505650000000
Lake Mills city5501950000000
Palmyra village5501960000000
Sullivan village5501970000000
Waterloo city5501980000000
Watertown city5501070000000
Whitewater city5502000000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential1072433166
2 to 4 unit residential0010101
other residential0000000
non-residential0130411
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 7 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 25 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Jefferson County, WI: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 55055). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/wi/55055/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.