Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Brandon
Brandon isn’t graded for hazard risk: Brandon has 913 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2004.
What Brandon 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
Tornadoes
Hail
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 Brandon flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brandon, from FEMA’s records.
Brandon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fond du Lac County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brandon
Disasters that paid out in Brandon itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Brandon), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides$9K to the Village of Brandon for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding42 households applied for aid$69K aid approved$36K to the Village of Brandon for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding8 households applied for aid$14K aid approved$28K to the Village of Brandon for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Fond du Lac County has had 9 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 Brandon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brandon archive →Get ready for what Brandon 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Brandon
Does Brandon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Brandon since 2004, $5K in all.
Is Brandon 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 Fond du Lac County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brandon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brandon’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 Brandon?
By FEMA money that reached Brandon, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 42 households applied for aid, $69K approved, and $36K to the Village of Brandon for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brandon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brandon’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.