Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in New Berlin
New Berlin isn’t graded for hazard risk: New Berlin has 781 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1984.
What New Berlin 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
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 New Berlin flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1984
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Berlin, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $25K
New Berlin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Union County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to New Berlin
Disasters that paid out in New Berlin itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of New Berlin), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Tropical Storm Debby10 households applied for aid$63K aid approved
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee1 households applied for aid$770 aid approved
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan3 households applied for aid$16K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $25K
Union County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of New Berlin after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Berlin archive →New Berlin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Township | C+more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Limestone Township | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 103 |
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 New Berlin 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.
- 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 New Berlin
Does New Berlin flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in New Berlin since 1984, $77K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (1).
Is New Berlin 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 Union County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in New Berlin?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Berlin’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 New Berlin?
By FEMA money that reached New Berlin, Tropical Storm Debby (2024): 10 households applied for aid, $63K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 paid, $25K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Berlin.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Berlin’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.