179 flood insurance claims·$2.6M 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 Racine 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.
River and general flooding dominate the historical record in Racine County, accompanied by frequent flash floods and periodic lakeshore flooding along Lake Michigan. Over a thirty-year period, NOAA recorded 33 flood events resulting in one death, alongside 15 flash flood events and 4 lakeshore flood events. Significant impacts are documented in recent history, such as an event in September 2022 when a slow-moving low-pressure system dropped 5 to 9 inches of rain within 24 hours, causing numerous road closures and flooding hundreds of basements. Another heavy rainfall event in May 2020 delivered 3 to 6 inches of rain, triggering river, creek, and lowland flooding alongside road closures and water rescues.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that property owners in Zone A face the highest frequency of risk, accounting for 134 claims with an average water depth of 22 inches and an average payout of $17,107. However, properties outside designated high-risk zones also experience losses, including Zone X claimants who recorded an average water depth of 3 inches and an average payout of $56,059, and Shaded Zone X properties which recorded an average water depth of 22 inches and an average payout of $37,695. Consequently, homeowners near rivers, low-lying areas, and those located within Zone A and shaded Zone X should pay the closest attention to flood preparedness.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Racine County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
150 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 20 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 2008, with 79 claims and $1.0M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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.
30 NOAA storm reports from Racine County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Jan 10, 2020 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
52 since 1996: 15 flash floods, 33 river or area floods and 4 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 11, 2022 | $15,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | Apr 30, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2020 | $1,000 |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 17, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | $4.0M |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2020 | $1,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2020 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Sep 11, 2022. An unusually slow moving low pressure system with abundant moisture produced 5-9 inches of rain in a 24 hour period from early morning on September 11th to early morning on September 12th. Numerous roads and hundreds of basements experienced flooding in portions of Waukesha, Milwaukee, and Racine Counties. Some rivers and creeks also flooded.
Lakeshore Flood · Apr 30, 2020. A slow moving low pressure area brought several inches of rain to far eastern WI over a 24-40 hour period. River and lake flooding occurred along with some road flooding.
Flood · Apr 29, 2020. A slow moving low pressure area brought several inches of rain to far eastern WI over a 24-40 hour period. River and lake flooding occurred along with some road flooding.
Flood · May 18, 2020. A slow moving low pressure area brought a 18-24 hour period of moderate to sometimes heavy rainfall. 3 to 6 inches of rain fell over far eastern WI, which resulted in river, creek, and lowland flooding. Numerous roads were flooded and closed. A small number of water rescues were executed. One indirect death occurred when a retaining wall collapsed onto an elderly woman.
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 Racine 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.