Natural hazards · West Allis

West Allis, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Allis comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Allis?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Cold waves55%Inland flooding23%Tornadoes12%Heat waves8%Everything else2%

By hazard

What West Allis faces

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

Cold waves

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% 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

8% 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 West Allis flood?

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

26paid claims since 1979

$342Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 8 claims, $179K
Storm: 7 claims, $65K
2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $3K

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. West Allis 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 West Allis

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West AllisDeclared for Milwaukee County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $124K aid approved

2025

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

517 households applied for aid $4.6M aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$96K to the City of West Allis for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

39 households applied for aid $98K aid approved $24K to the City of West Allis for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

209 households applied for aid $298K aid approved $67K to the City of West Allis for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$83K to the City of West Allis for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2000

Snow

$60K to the City of West Allis for repairs

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

Around West Allis

West Allis and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Milwaukeemostly cold wavesLow

Brookfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Greenfieldmostly cold wavesVery low

West Allismostly cold wavesVery low

New Berlinmostly inland floodingVery low

West Milwaukeemostly 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. West Allis covers 18 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Allis’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of West Allis. 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 West Allis total about $20.7M 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.