Natural hazards · Elm Grove

Elm Grove, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elm Grove comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1997. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elm Grove?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elm Grove to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves22%Tornadoes11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Elm Grove faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Elm Grove flood?

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

41paid claims since 1997

$1.2Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19972026

Biggest named events

2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 5 claims, $102K
Storm: 1 claim, $11K

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

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Elm Grove is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Waukesha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Elm Grove

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Elm Grove itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Village of Elm Grove.

Brought FEMA money into Elm GroveDeclared for Waukesha County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2025

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Mudslides

59 households applied for aid $277K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $97K aid approved $122K to the Village of Elm Grove for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$18K to the Village of Elm Grove for repairs

2000

Snow

$10K to the Village of Elm Grove for repairs

Waukesha County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Elm Grove

Elm Grove and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Elm Grovemostly inland floodingLow

Brookfieldmostly 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. Elm Grove covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elm Grove’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Elm Grove. 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 Elm Grove total about $2.3M 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.