Dane County is subject to natural hazards that threaten life and health and cause extensive property damage. Dane County has received Federal disaster declarations on 15 occasions since 1976. That equates to a frequency of a natural disaster declaration nearly every three years. In addition, almost every year, there are significant weather events that cause major damages for which Federal disaster assistance is not granted.
Most people who live or work in Dane County have been affected by natural hazards in one way or another. Dane County and its residents are vulnerable to a variety of hazards including extreme temperatures, severe winter weather, tornadoes, and floods. Natural hazards in Dane County have caused injury and loss of life, severe property damage, interruption of the delivery of vital goods and services, disruption of local economies, and harm to the natural environment.
Dane County Emergency Management is working with Dane County Planning & Development and the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) on the fourth update of the Dane County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. Maintaining an up-to-date plan makes Dane County and participating municipalities eligible for federal mitigation grant funding.
All Dane County cities, villages, and towns are encouraged to participate in the planning process and adopt the final plan. Kick-off meetings for the next update were held in February of 2026 and all Dane County municipalities were invited to participate.
2027 NHMP Kick-off Presentation
2027 Municipal Participation Form
Dane County is currently working to have the plan updated and ready for state review by the Fall of 2026.
The plan outlines strategies that can be implemented by Dane County and local units of government within Dane County to reduce the impact of natural hazards on people, structures, and the natural environment. A wide range of hazard mitigation projects are being considered, from small individual actions to large scale community projects.
The plan is being prepared as a multi-jurisdictional plan. All 61 municipalities in Dane County have been invited to participate in the planning process. Each of these municipalities will complete a local hazard assessment and develop community-specific mitigation strategies.
When added together, the following documents comprise the 2022 Update of the Dane County Hazard Mitigation Plan:
