Natural hazards · Fort Atkinson

Fort Atkinson, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Atkinson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fort Atkinson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Atkinson to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes13%Cold waves12%Hail5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Fort Atkinson faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% 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 Fort Atkinson flood?

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

49paid claims since 1979

$1.1Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Storm: 6 claims, $190K
March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $10K

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. Fort Atkinson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

118flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Fort Atkinson

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort AtkinsonDeclared for Jefferson County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $40K to the City of Fort Atkinson for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

380 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $233K to the City of Fort Atkinson for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$19K to the City of Fort Atkinson for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

45 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $17K to the City of Fort Atkinson for repairs

Jefferson County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Fort Atkinson

Fort Atkinson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fort Atkinsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Koshkonongmostly 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. Fort Atkinson covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Atkinson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Atkinson. 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 Fort Atkinson 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.