Community preparedness — Wisconsin
Flooding, tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, and severe thunderstorms across 72 counties. UW Extension everywhere. 50+ ham radio clubs. CERT teams statewide. Wisconsin's preparedness culture runs deep from the dairy farms to the lakefront cities.
Enter your ZIP to find volunteer groups, training programs, civic organizations, and mutual aid networks in your area.
Organizations and programs near you
Emergency response & training
Food & mutual aid
Skills & learning
Civic & service organizations
Don't see what you're looking for? Search Google Maps →
Community calendar
72
County extension offices
4
NWS forecast offices
50+
Amateur radio clubs
16
Technical colleges
Where to plug in
Wisconsin spans the Great Lakes shoreline to the Mississippi River bluffs, and its hazards are as varied as its landscape. Flooding is the most costly recurring disaster. Tornadoes hit the southern counties. Lake-effect snowstorms hit the eastern shoreline. Blizzards close the whole state. UW Extension in all 72 counties and a 50+ club ham radio network build community resilience statewide.
University of Wisconsin Extension serves all 72 counties. Wisconsin's dairy economy is the largest in the country, and extension agents are essential to every dairy community. Programming spans agriculture, horticulture, food safety, nutrition, financial literacy, 4-H, natural resources, and community development. UW Extension's food preservation programming reflects Wisconsin's deep canning and preservation culture.
The Master Gardener program is one of the most active in the Upper Midwest. Extension runs food preservation workshops, flood preparedness education, farm resilience programs, and community development. After the 2008 floods — the worst in state history — extension helped agricultural producers across southern Wisconsin navigate USDA disaster programs.
Wisconsin Emergency Management coordinates the state's all-hazards emergency program through county emergency management directors. WI's EM system addresses flooding (the most costly recurring disaster), tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, and winter storms that can paralyze the northern half of the state for days at a time.
CERT programs are active across Wisconsin. Dane (Madison), Milwaukee, Waukesha, Brown (Green Bay), La Crosse, Outagamie (Appleton), and other counties run established programs. After the 2008 flooding — which caused over $750 million in damage and was declared the worst natural disaster in WI history — CERT enrollment grew significantly across southern Wisconsin. Training is free.
American Red Cross chapters serve all of Wisconsin. First aid, CPR, AED, and water safety classes are offered in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Appleton, and other communities year-round. During the 2008 floods, Red Cross deployed across multiple Wisconsin counties and provided shelter and disaster relief. WI Red Cross deploys for flooding, tornadoes, blizzards, and home fires statewide. Volunteer entry points include shelter operations, disaster assessment, and feeding.
Wisconsin has over 50 amateur radio clubs in the ARRL Wisconsin Section — one of the most active sections in the Midwest. ARES teams are activated during tornado outbreaks, flooding, blizzards, and ice storms. Wisconsin ham operators are experienced and well-organized. Getting licensed costs $15 for the exam and about $35 for a basic handheld radio. Study at hamstudy.org.
Four NWS offices serve Wisconsin: Milwaukee/Sullivan (eastern WI), Green Bay (northeastern WI and Lake Michigan shore), La Crosse (western WI and the Mississippi Valley), and Duluth MN (northern WI). Each runs SKYWARN spotter training. Wisconsin averages about 25 tornadoes per year, experiences major flooding from Mississippi Valley storms, and deals with severe lake-effect events off Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Training is free.
Wisconsin has over 380 public library locations overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Milwaukee Public Library, Madison Public Library, Brown County Library (Green Bay), and La Crosse Public Library run extensive programming. Wisconsin's library system is strong and deeply embedded in community life across 72 counties.
The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) operates 16 technical colleges across the state, including Milwaukee Area Technical College, Madison College, Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton), Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire), and Northcentral Technical College (Wausau). They offer EMT certification, welding, electrical, HVAC, nursing, and dairy science programs.
Why this matters
In June 2008, a series of major storms moved across Wisconsin, dropping extraordinary amounts of rain. The Wisconsin River, Rock River, Crawfish River, and dozens of smaller waterways flooded. Portage, Juneau, Columbia, Dodge, and Rock counties experienced some of the worst flooding in recorded history. Over 29,000 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Damage totaled over $750 million — the worst natural disaster in Wisconsin history at the time.
In agricultural communities across southern Wisconsin, the immediate response was from neighbors. Farmers with high-clearance tractors moved equipment and livestock for flooded neighbors. Community organizations organized supply delivery to isolated farms. Volunteer fire companies ran boat rescues in flooded residential areas. Ham radio operators provided emergency communications.
Red Cross opened shelters across multiple counties. UW Extension agents were quickly on the ground helping farm families assess livestock losses and navigate USDA disaster programs. County emergency management offices coordinated volunteer labor. The communities with the strongest existing volunteer networks were the ones that recovered fastest.
Wisconsin's flooding risk is not declining. Major flood events are becoming more frequent across the state's rivers and watersheds. The organizations on this page build the preparedness capacity that makes the difference between a devastating flood and a survivable one across all 72 counties.
The foundation
Community resilience begins with a household that can take care of itself. Cover the first 72 hours, then extend outward to your street, your neighborhood, your town.
Start with the first 72 hours