Natural Disaster Risk in Forest County

Natural Hazard Profile: Forest County, Wisconsin

Forest County is located in the United States in Wisconsin, home to roughly 9,147 residents. The county experiences long, cold winters with lake-effect snow and warm summers, with severe blizzards and spring tornado outbreaks shaping the natural hazards faced by its communities. FEMA assesses risk at this county level, providing the baseline for every city and ZIP code within its boundaries.

FEMA rates Forest County's composite natural disaster risk at 3.9 out of 10 — low risk. Cold wave events are the primary hazard risk, driven by periodic invasions of Arctic air that drive wind chills to life-threatening levels and stress heating systems. Residents should also account for tsunami and hail risk in their preparedness planning.

Forest County's risk score, considerably below the 5.4/10 state average and below the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. Of the 18 hazard categories tracked by FEMA for Forest County, the highest-scoring are cold wave, tsunami, and hail. These scores reflect county-level data and represent the baseline risk that all communities in the county share.

Forest County carries a below-average natural disaster risk, reflecting fewer and less severe hazard exposures than typical U.S. communities. Even so, the area's primary risk — cold wave — warrants awareness and appropriate insurance coverage, as lower risk does not mean zero risk.