Natural hazards · Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beaver Dam comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2008. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Beaver Dam?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beaver Dam to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding40%Cold waves21%Tornadoes20%Hail9%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Beaver Dam faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 69 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Beaver Dam flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Beaver Dam, from FEMA’s records.

2paid claims since 2008

$37Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $27K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Beaver Dam isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Dodge County.

Disasters that hit Beaver Dam

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Beaver Dam itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Beaver Dam.

Brought FEMA money into Beaver DamDeclared for Dodge County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$29K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

197 households applied for aid $262K aid approved $399K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$27K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

76 households applied for aid $56K aid approved $40K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

Dodge County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Westfordmostly inland floodingLow

Beaver Dammostly inland floodingVery low

Trentonmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Beaver Dam covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Beaver Dam’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Beaver Dam. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Beaver Dam total about $8.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.