Oconomowoc’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oconomowoc comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1982. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Oconomowoc’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Oconomowoc flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Oconomowoc, from FEMA’s records.
Oconomowoc isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Waukesha County.How exposed is Oconomowoc?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 1,382 of the 1,849 Wisconsin towns we cover.
Oconomowoc covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
What Oconomowoc faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Cold waves
Tornadoes
6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Oconomowoc
Disasters that paid out in Oconomowoc itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Oconomowoc) and its biggest flood years.
- 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
- 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Mudslides16 households applied for aid$100K aid approved
- 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding330 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved$12K to the City of Oconomowoc for repairs
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$31K to the City of Oconomowoc for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 household applied for aid$276 aid approved
- 2000Snow$10K to the City of Oconomowoc for repairs
Waukesha County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of Oconomowoc after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Oconomowoc archive →Get ready for what Oconomowoc actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Oconomowoc and its neighbors
Oconomowoc has the highest rating of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconomowoc | Moderate | inland flooding | 2 |
| Summit | Low | inland flooding | 4 |
| Oconomowoc Lake | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Concord | Low | inland flooding | 1 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in June–August
The month each of Waukesha County’s 17 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Oconomowoc’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oconomowoc.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Oconomowoc, expected losses total about $8.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oconomowoc.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.