Storm risk in La Crosse County, Wisconsin

FEMA's overall hazard score for La Crosse County is 80.53 (Relatively Low), 613th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 95.07 (Relatively High), strong wind 76.88 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 84.57 (Relatively Moderate). Expected hail loss is $124 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 77 hail reports in La Crosse County from 2014 to June 2026.

FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.

La Crosse County: expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings for hail, strong wind and tornado, on a log scale, against all U.S. counties and the counties of WI$0.1$1$10$100$1,000Hail: $124 per $1 million, 401st of 3,126 rated counties$124Hail401st of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $6.29 per $1 million, 2,504th of 3,121 rated counties$6.29Strong wind2,504th of 3,121 countiesTornado: $226 per $1 million, 1,404th of 3,144 rated counties$226Tornado1,404th of 3,144 counties
  • La Crosse County, coloured by its FEMA rating
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  • each county in the state
  • U.S. median
  • state median

Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.

How FEMA rates La Crosse County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in WI
OverallRelatively Low 80.53613 of 3,14411 of 72
HailRelatively High 95.07156 of 3,1267 of 72
Strong windRelatively Moderate 76.88728 of 3,12620 of 72
TornadoRelatively Moderate 84.57486 of 3,12615 of 72

Expected yearly loss, in dollars

HazardThis county, total a yearPer $1M of buildingsState median countyU.S. median countyRank per $1M, U.S.Rank per $1M, state
Hail$3,482,937$124 $70$22 401 of 3,1269 of 72
Strong wind$176,972$6.29 $15$20 2,504 of 3,12166 of 72
Tornado$6,359,953$226 $194$199 1,404 of 3,14419 of 72

Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.

What stands out in La Crosse County

  • FEMA expects hail in La Crosse County to cost $124 per $1 million of buildings a year: 5.54 times the U.S. median and 1.78 times the WI county median, ranked 401st of 3,126 counties nationally and 9th of 72 in Wisconsin.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in La Crosse County to cost $6.29 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.31 times the U.S. median and 0.42 times the WI county median, ranked 2,504th of 3,121 counties nationally and 66th of 72 in Wisconsin.
  • FEMA expects tornado in La Crosse County to cost $226 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.14 times the U.S. median and 1.16 times the WI county median, ranked 1,404th of 3,144 counties nationally and 19th of 72 in Wisconsin.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $243,200 home, the average yearly loss in La Crosse County is about $30 for hail and $1.53 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $5.43 and $4.95.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in La Crosse County meets about 26.7 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1978, the median home in La Crosse County is 48 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 78.5% of its 53,234 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 34 of the 77 hail reports in La Crosse County (44 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.

What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year

Enter a home value. The calculator applies La Crosse County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.

$30hail, a year; $5.43 at the U.S. median county rate
$1.53strong wind, a year; $4.95 at the U.S. median county rate
$633hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × La Crosse County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $3,482,937 ÷ $28,116,202,282 = 0.0001239. Wind: $176,972 ÷ $28,116,202,282 = 0.0000063. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.

Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.

La Crosse County in plain numbers

  • La Crosse County scores 80.53 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Low): 613th of 3,144 rated counties and 11th of 72 in Wisconsin.
  • Hail scores 95.07 (Relatively High). FEMA expects $3,482,937 of hail damage to buildings in La Crosse County a year, which is $124 per $1 million of buildings, 5.54 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 76.88 (Relatively Moderate) with $176,972 of expected yearly building loss in La Crosse County: $6.29 per $1 million of buildings, 0.31 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 84.57 (Relatively Moderate) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $6,359,953, counting everything exposed, or $226 per $1 million of buildings in La Crosse County.
  • FEMA's own event record for La Crosse County averages 3.58 hail events and 2.98 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 77 hail reports in La Crosse County between 2014 and June 2026, on 18 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 4 inches.
  • In La Crosse County, FEMA counts buildings worth 28.12 billion dollars and 120,545 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Very Low in La Crosse County.
  • Community resilience there is Very High, for 120,545 residents.
  • 1 city in La Crosse County is covered on this site: La Crosse. 9 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
  • Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in La Crosse is $6,580 to $14,570.
  • La Crosse County ranks 28 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 140 for wind and 91 for tornado.
  • In La Crosse County, July is the busiest month with 30 of the 77 reports (39 percent), against 0 reports in January.
  • La Crosse County's worst year was 2021, with 4 hail days at 1 inch or more and 12 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.33 such days a year, one about every 9.0 months.
  • The median home in La Crosse County was built in 1978; 53.5% of its 53,234 housing units date from before 1980, 78.5% from before 2000 and 10.2% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in La Crosse County at $243,200, and 62.5% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 2,440 single-family building permits were issued in La Crosse County from 2014 to 2025, about 45.8 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2017.
  • NOAA lists 4 tornado tracks in La Crosse County since 2014; the strongest was an EF1 on June 25, 2025 near Barre Mills, 5.11 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for La Crosse County is 75 mph on July 28, 2023 at West Salem.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Eau Claire County, 57 miles from the centre of La Crosse County; its hail score is 89.34.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 12 roofing contractor establishments in La Crosse County in 2023, one for every 4,436 homes.

The hail record of La Crosse County, year by year

NOAA logged 77 reports in La Crosse County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 18 days. That is 1.3 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

La Crosse County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more051015202014: 6 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch142015: 3 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch152016: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch162017: 8 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch172018: 1 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.75 inch182019: 1 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.75 inch192020: 10 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2.5 inch202021: 12 reports, 4 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch212022: 12 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch222023: 16 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 4 inch232024: 3 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2 inch242025: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch252026: 5 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch26*
  • reports
  • days with hail of 1 inch or more
  • * 2026 runs to June only
La Crosse County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 0 reports0JanFebruary: 0 reports0FebMarch: 3 reports3MarApril: 7 reports7AprMay: 12 reports12MayJune: 12 reports12JunJuly: 30 reports30JulAugust: 9 reports9AugSeptember: 2 reports2SepOctober: 1 reports1OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 1 reports1Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: July, 30 reports.

The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
YearReportsDays, 1 inch or moreDays, 1.75 inch or moreLargest stoneDamage reported
20146101 in–
20153101.5 in–
20178111.75 in$25,000
20181000.75 in–
20191000.75 in–
202010312.5 in$47,605,200
202112401.5 in–
202212211.75 in$405,000
202316214 in$435,000
20243212 in$254,000
2026 (to June)5201.5 in–

Biggest hail days in La Crosse County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
July 28, 20234 in13$435,000Neshbonoc Lake
June 2, 20202.5 in3$47,600,000New Amsterdam
September 21, 20242 in1$254,000Holmen
May 19, 20221.75 in11$405,000Holmen
July 6, 20171.75 in7$25,000St Joseph

Where large hail was reported

FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside La Crosse County the big stones fell.

Reported hail locations, La Crosse County

1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail2 in hail2 in hail2.5 in hail2.5 in hail2.5 in hail2.5 in hail2.75 in hail2.75 in hail2.75 in hail3 in hail4 in hail La Crosse
  • 361 to 1.74 in
  • 111.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 52.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 4 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

52 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.

Sources: NOAA, Census county outline

Wind and tornado records for La Crosse County

Fastest gusts in La Crosse County

DateGustNear
July 28, 202375 mphWest Salem
June 28, 201472 mphLa Crosse
June 28, 201472 mphOnalaska
June 28, 201472 mphLa Crosse

Strongest tornado tracks in La Crosse County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
June 25, 2025EF15.11 mi0 / 0Barre Mills
March 6, 2017EF12.6 mi0 / 0West Salem Arpt
June 25, 2025EF01.07 mi0 / 0Barre Mills
July 23, 2022EF02.49 mi0 / 0Medary

4 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.

How old the roofs are

Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at La Crosse County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.33 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

La Crosse County: share of homes by decade built, with the hail days at 1 inch or more that an original roof from each decade has met at the county's 2014 to 2025 ratepre-1940: 16.4% of homes16.4%<19401211940s: 4.8% of homes4.8%1940s1081950s: 9.3% of homes9.3%1950s951960s: 7.9% of homes7.9%1960s811970s: 15.1% of homes15.1%1970s681980s: 9.9% of homes9.9%1980s551990s: 15.1% of homes15.1%1990s412000s: 11.4% of homes11.4%2000s282010s: 9.4% of homes9.4%2010s152020+: 0.7% of homes0.7%2020+4

Bars: share of 53,234 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.

Median year built1978
Built before 198053.5%
Built before 200078.5%
Built since 201010.2%
Owner-occupied62.5%
Median home value$243,200
Single-family permits, 2014 to 20252,440
Permits per 1,000 homes45.8

Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.

Roofers and past disasters in La Crosse County

Roofing firms in La Crosse County

Roofing contractor establishments, 202312
Change since 2016+4 (+50%)
Homes per roofing firm4,436
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 2023172

Source for La Crosse County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.

Nearby counties

The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by La Crosse County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Eau Claire County, WI57 Relatively Low $690.56$467.3840
Winnebago County, WI126 Relatively Moderate $560.45$162.6124
Rock County, WI135 Relatively Moderate $870.70$213.2774
Outagamie County, WI139 Relatively Low $530.43$152.4668
Brown County, WI161 Relatively Moderate $420.34$0.960.1549
Racine County, WI177 Relatively Moderate $310.25$6.651.0646

More Wisconsin counties, nearest first

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in La Crosse County

1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 9 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
La Crosse 54601 (100%), 54623 (57%), 54603 (100%), 54639 (0%) Roofers

Storm hit your roof in La Crosse County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.

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Questions

How high is storm risk in La Crosse County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives La Crosse County an overall score of 80.53 (Relatively Low), 613th of 3,144. Hail scores 95.07 (Relatively High), strong wind 76.88 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 84.57 (Relatively Moderate).

In La Crosse County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?

A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 77 for La Crosse County between 2014 and June 2026, on 18 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 4 inches.

What do hail and wind cost a home in La Crosse County each year, on average?

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $243,200: FEMA's estimate is about $30 a year for hail and $1.53 for wind, before any deductible, against $5.43 and $4.95 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.

How does La Crosse County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

Per $1 million of buildings La Crosse County loses $124 to hail a year, against $70 in the median county of the state. Among 72 rated counties it is 7th for hail, 20th for strong wind and 15th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in La Crosse County?

The median home was built in 1978, 48 years ago, and 78.5% of the 53,234 housing units in La Crosse County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.

What does expected annual loss mean?

It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.

Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?

No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.

Sources for La Crosse County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for La Crosse County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in La Crosse County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in La Crosse County. Planning-level information about La Crosse County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset 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).