Storms, floods and disasters in Whitewater
Whitewater isn’t graded for hazard risk: Whitewater has 886 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1985.
What Whitewater 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
Wildfire
Tornadoes
Strong wind
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.
Does Whitewater flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Whitewater, from FEMA’s records.
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: Butler County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Whitewater
Disasters that paid out in Whitewater itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Whitewater), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$14K to the City of Whitewater for repairs
Butler County has had 25 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.
Old photos of Whitewater after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Whitewater archive →Whitewater and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Richland Township | — | 241 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Whitewater faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Whitewater
Does Whitewater flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Whitewater since 1985, $40K in all.
Is Whitewater 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 Butler County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Whitewater?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whitewater’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 Whitewater?
By FEMA money that reached Whitewater, Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding (2005): $14K to the City of Whitewater for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whitewater.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whitewater’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.