36 flood insurance claims·$291,040 paid·3 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Green County, Wisconsin. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Green County experiences a flood risk dominated by riverine floods and flash floods, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 40 flood events and 18 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Severe weather patterns drive these occurrences, as seen in June 2024 when low pressure and cold fronts brought severe thunderstorms and flash flooding alongside tornadoes near Argyle. Additionally, mild temperatures and rainfall in March 2019 caused snowmelt, excessive runoff on frozen ground, and river flooding exacerbated by ice jams that required community evacuations and American Red Cross assistance.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 26 claims averaging $13,198 with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Zone X accounts for 5 claims averaging $6,957 with an average recorded water depth of 24 inches, while Zone X unshaded records 2 claims averaging $9,637. Zone X shaded and unknown zones account for remaining lower-claim activity. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within high-risk Zone A and properties near rivers, small creeks, and urban roadways prone to rapid runoff and ice jam inundation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
13% of Green County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
30 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2019, with 6 claims and $173,315 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
37 NOAA storm reports from Green County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 5, 2008 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Feb 5, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 7, 2004 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 26, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
58 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 40 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Sep 15, 2019 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Oct 1, 2019 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2018 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2018 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 22, 2024. Severe thunderstorms developed across western Wisconsin and moved eastward across southern Wisconsin through the afternoon and evening hours on June 22nd due to passing low pressure and its approaching cold front. There were supercell thunderstorms along with bowing segments along this line which lead to multiple areas of damage. Two strong tornadoes occurred, which were rated EF-2 near Argyle and through the so…
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2024. A complex of thunderstorms along a cold front moved across southern Wisconsin causing locally damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding. A tornado occurred near Evansville.
Flood · Sep 15, 2019. A strong squall line with torrential rainfall moved east along and north of warm front over southern WI. A quick 2.5-4.5 inches of rain resulted in the flash flooding of creeks, small rivers, and urban and rural roadways. Some trees were downed by straight-line winds. A 42 unit apartment building burned down in Waukesha after being struck by lightning.
Flood · Mar 13, 2019. Mild temperatures and some rainfall led to snow melt and excessive runoff on a frozen ground. Numerous rivers flooded including flooding in atypical areas due to ice jams. Evacuations were needed in some communities. The American Red Cross did respond in some cases to aid the flood victims.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Green County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.