Natural hazards · Berlin

Berlin, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berlin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berlin?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berlin to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding54%Cold waves18%Tornadoes13%Hail8%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Berlin faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Berlin flood?

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

35paid claims since 1979

$292Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Green Lake County.

Disasters that hit Berlin

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerlinDeclared for Green Lake County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $31K to the City of Berlin for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

93 households applied for aid $92K aid approved $422K to the City of Berlin for repairs

Green Lake County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Berlin

Berlin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Berlinmostly inland floodingHigh

Auroramostly inland floodingModerate

Berlinmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Berlin covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berlin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Berlin. 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 Berlin total about $4.1M 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.