Natural hazards · Glendale

Glendale, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Glendale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 223 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Glendale?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Glendale to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves31%Tornadoes6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Glendale faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Glendale flood?

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

223paid claims since 1978

$2.0Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 70 claims, $1.1M
Storm: 30 claims, $184K
March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $26K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Glendale 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Glendale

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GlendaleDeclared for Milwaukee County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $57K aid approved

2025

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

215 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$48K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

95 households applied for aid $282K aid approved $42K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

97 households applied for aid $139K aid approved $18K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$42K to the City of Glendale for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2000

Snow

$23K to the City of Glendale for repairs

Milwaukee County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Glendale

Glendale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

River Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh

Whitefish Baymostly cold wavesModerate

Glendalemostly inland floodingModerate

Fox Pointmostly cold wavesLow

Milwaukeemostly cold wavesLow

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. Glendale covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Glendale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Glendale. 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 Glendale total about $8.1M 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.