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Natural hazards · Franklin

Franklin, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franklin comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2006. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Franklin?

6
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Franklin to be higher than in 6% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves51%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes12%Heat waves7%Everything else2%
By hazard

What Franklin faces

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

Cold waves

51% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Franklin flood?

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

10paid claims since 2006
$136Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20062026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 6 claims, $75K
  • 2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 1 claim, $9K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Franklin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Milwaukee County.
Disasters that hit Franklin

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranklinDeclared for Milwaukee County only
2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $59K aid approved
2025

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

132 households applied for aid $553K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$47K to the City of Franklin for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $85K aid approved $12K to the City of Franklin for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

172 households applied for aid $252K aid approved $109K to the City of Franklin for repairs
2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$36K to the City of Franklin for repairs
2000

Snow

$23K to the City of Franklin for repairs
2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$66K to the City of Franklin for repairs
Milwaukee County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Franklin

Franklin and the towns around it

Greendale: Very low, mostly cold wavesMuskego: Low, mostly inland floodingHales Corners: Very low, mostly cold wavesOak Creek: Very low, mostly cold wavesRaymond: Very low, mostly inland floodingGreenfield: Very low, mostly cold wavesNew Berlin: Very low, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingNorway: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBig Bend: Low, mostly inland floodingMilwaukee: Low, mostly cold wavesCaledonia: Very low, mostly inland floodingSouth Milwaukee: Very low, mostly cold wavesCudahy: Very low, mostly cold wavesYorkville: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Allis: Very low, mostly cold wavesFranklin: Very low, mostly cold waves FranklinGreendaleMuskegoHales CornersOak CreekRaymondGreenfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Muskegomostly inland floodingLow
Greendalemostly cold wavesVery low
Greenfieldmostly cold wavesVery low
Oak Creekmostly cold wavesVery low
Hales Cornersmostly cold wavesVery low
Franklinmostly cold wavesVery low
Raymondmostly 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. Franklin covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Franklin. 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 Franklin total about $13.7M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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