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Natural hazards · New Berlin

New Berlin, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Berlin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 42 claims here since 1984. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is New Berlin?

7
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Berlin to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves27%Tornadoes18%Hail5%Heat waves5%Everything else4%
By hazard

What New Berlin faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hail

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 New Berlin flood?

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

42paid claims since 1984
$1.5Mpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • 2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 17 claims, $1.1M
  • Storm: 4 claims, $40K

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
🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. New Berlin is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Waukesha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings floodproofed
1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit New Berlin

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into New BerlinDeclared for Waukesha County only
2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $190K aid approved
2025

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

763 households applied for aid $4.4M aid approved
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

126 households applied for aid $235K aid approved $187K to the City of New Berlin for repairs
2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$66K to the City of New Berlin for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2000

Snow

$28K to the City of New Berlin for repairs
Waukesha County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around New Berlin

New Berlin and the towns around it

Muskego: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaukesha: Low, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Allis: Very low, mostly cold wavesHales Corners: Very low, mostly cold wavesBrookfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingGreenfield: Very low, mostly cold wavesFranklin: Very low, mostly cold wavesNorway: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBig Bend: Low, mostly inland floodingElm Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingButler: Very low, mostly inland floodingMenomonee Falls: Very low, mostly inland floodingWauwatosa: Very low, mostly cold wavesWaukesha: Very low, mostly inland floodingGenesee: Low, mostly inland floodingMukwonago: Low, mostly inland floodingMukwonago: Low, mostly inland floodingWaterford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMilwaukee: Low, mostly cold wavesWest Milwaukee: Very low, mostly cold wavesGreendale: Very low, mostly cold wavesPewaukee: Very low, mostly inland floodingLisbon: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew Berlin: Very low, mostly inland flooding New BerlinMuskegoBrookfieldWaukeshaVernonWest AllisHales CornersBrookfieldGreenfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Waukeshamostly inland floodingLow
Vernonmostly inland floodingLow
Muskegomostly inland floodingLow
Brookfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Greenfieldmostly cold wavesVery low
Brookfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
New Berlinmostly inland floodingVery low
West Allismostly cold wavesVery low
Hales Cornersmostly cold wavesVery 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. New Berlin covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to New Berlin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of New 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 New Berlin total about $12.2M 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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