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Downtown Dousman Wisconsin County Z Looking WestPhoto: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0
BHazard risk
Natural hazards in Dousman · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Dousman faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Dousman gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns, #274 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.

River and rain flooding 82%Tornadoes 10%Hail 6%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 58%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#274 of 362 in Wisconsin
Hazard risk
B#274 of 362
in Wisconsin · lower than 58% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
82% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 2008 · $2K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 16 declared for Waukesha County
By hazard

What Dousman 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

82%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Earthquakes Wildfire Lightning Hurricanes Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 16% of Dousman’s expected losses. Cold waves do 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Dousman’s grade

River and rain flooding is 82% of the building damage FEMA expects in Dousman, and Dousman’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 10% (higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Dousman sits
Dousman
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B #274 of 362 in Wisconsin; lower expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Dousman’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding82%Tornadoes10%Hail6%Everything else2%

The typical Wisconsin town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Dousman has more expected damage per building than 76% of Wisconsin towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Dousman: $776K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Dousman covers 3 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Dousman flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2008

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dousman, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 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 claims2008
20082026
Biggest named events
  • The Storm1 claim · $2K
1
paid claims since 2008
$2K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$2K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Waukesha County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Dousman

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

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding61 households applied for aid$107K aid approved$28K to the Village of Dousman for repairs
  3. 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$2K to the Village of Dousman for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$276 aid approved
  5. 2000Snow$2K to the Village of Dousman for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in DousmanWaukesha County only

Waukesha County has had 16 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Dousman archive →
Next door

Dousman and its neighbors

Dousman is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Ottawa: hazard risk B+Summit: hazard risk B+OttawaSummitDousman
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
OttawaB+less damage than 68%river and rain flooding2
SummitB+less damage than 65%river and rain flooding4
DousmanBless damage than 58%river and rain flooding1

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Dousman 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 Dousman

Is Dousman at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Dousman has lower expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #274 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%) and tornadoes (10%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Dousman flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Dousman since 2008, $2K in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Storm (1).

Is Dousman 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 Waukesha County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Dousman?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Dousman’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 Dousman?

By FEMA money that reached Dousman, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 61 households applied for aid, $107K approved, and $28K to the Village of Dousman for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 1 paid, $2K.

Is Dousman at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (82%), and Dousman’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Dousman.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Dousman’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.