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Whiting, IAPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Whiting · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Whiting

Whiting isn’t graded for hazard risk: Whiting has 777 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1993.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1993 · $4K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 17 declared for Monona County
By hazard

What Whiting faces

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

River and rain flooding

63%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Wildfire Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms Heat waves top 1% Lightning Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 34% of Whiting’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Whiting flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1993

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19931996
19932026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $3K
2
paid claims since 1993
$4K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$2K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Whiting isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Monona County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Whiting

Disasters that paid out in Whiting itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Whiting), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2025Severe Winter Storm$13K to the City of Whiting for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Storms and Flooding10 households applied for aid$15K aid approved
  3. 2011Flooding2 households applied for aid$21K aid approved
  4. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WhitingMonona County only

Monona County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Whiting after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Whiting archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Whiting faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Whiting

Does Whiting flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Whiting since 1993, $4K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).

Is Whiting in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Monona County, 0.6% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Whiting?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whiting’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Whiting?

By FEMA money that reached Whiting, Flooding (2011): 2 households applied for aid, $21K approved. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $3K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whiting.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whiting’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.