Natural hazards · Oak Creek

Oak Creek, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oak Creek comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1996. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oak Creek?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oak Creek to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves50%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes12%Heat waves7%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Oak Creek faces

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

Cold waves

50% 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 23% 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

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oak Creek flood?

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

12paid claims since 1996

$269Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Storm: 4 claims, $157K

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. Oak Creek 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

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Oak Creek

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Oak CreekDeclared for Milwaukee County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

43 households applied for aid $50K aid approved

2025

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

80 households applied for aid $286K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$88K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

53 households applied for aid $172K aid approved $98K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

268 households applied for aid $412K aid approved $200K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$74K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2000

Snow

$34K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$181K to the City of Oak Creek for repairs

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

Around Oak Creek

Oak Creek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Milwaukeemostly cold wavesLow

Caledoniamostly inland floodingVery low

South Milwaukeemostly cold wavesVery low

Oak Creekmostly cold wavesVery low

Franklinmostly cold wavesVery low

Cudahymostly 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. Oak Creek covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oak Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oak Creek. 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 Oak Creek total about $13.6M 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.