Natural hazards · West Bend

West Bend, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Bend comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2025. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Bend?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding40%Cold waves26%Tornadoes20%Hail6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What West Bend faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Bend flood?

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

1paid claims since 2025

$131Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20252026

Biggest named events

2025-08-MilwaukeeMetro-Flood: 1 claim, $131K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. West Bend isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit West Bend

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West BendDeclared for Washington County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Town of West Bend for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of West Bend for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$8K to the Town of West Bend for repairs

Washington County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around West Bend

West Bend and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Addisonmostly inland floodingVery low

West Bendmostly inland floodingVery low

Polkmostly inland floodingVery low

West Bendmostly inland floodingVery 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 Bend covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Bend’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of West Bend. 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 Bend total about $2.2M 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.