Milwaukee County, Wisconsin: hazard risk
FEMA rates Milwaukee County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.4 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,113 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 100.0 | $177M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.0 | $32M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 96.8 | $819K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.0 | $25M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.0 | $101M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.8 | $2.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.2 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | $287K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 61.7 | $309K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.8 | $1.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 35.6 | $7K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 31.0 | $290 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 29.5 | $12K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.8 | $5K |
| Drought | Very Low | 16.7 | $1K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 250 | 0 | $46M | 1st of 72 | 44th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 227 | 26 | $259K | 1st of 72 | 17th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 212 | 0 | $12M | 1st of 72 | 23rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 76 | 5 | $436M | 1st of 72 | 83rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 75 | 3 | $3.5M | 1st of 72 | 72nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 64 | 47 | $28K | 1st of 72 | 19th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 57 | 21 | – | 1st of 72 | 55th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 29 | 0 | $4.2M | 1st of 72 | 21st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 0 | $22M | 1st of 72 | 139th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 0 | $71K | 1st of 72 | 102nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | $41K | 2nd of 72 | 605th of 3,063 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 5 | 5 | – | 1st of 72 | 72nd of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Milwaukee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.