Natural hazards · Whitewater

Whitewater, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Whitewater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2026. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Whitewater?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Whitewater to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes21%Cold waves20%Hail7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Whitewater 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

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 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 Whitewater flood?

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

2paid claims since 2026

$66Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20262026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 2 claims, $66K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Walworth County.

Disasters that hit Whitewater

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhitewaterDeclared for Walworth County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $60K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Walworth County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Whitewater

Whitewater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whitewatermostly inland floodingLow

Cold Springmostly inland floodingLow

Whitewatermostly 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. Whitewater covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Whitewater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Whitewater. 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 Whitewater total about $4.0M 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.