Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Slinger

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Slinger WI RR KMDPhoto: Midnightcomm · CC BY-SA 2.5
AHazard risk
Natural hazards in Slinger · FEMA

FEMA puts Slinger’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Slinger gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, #52 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then tornadoes (19%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 69%Tornadoes 19%Hail 9%

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 95%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#52 of 362 in Wisconsin
Hazard risk
A#52 of 362
in Wisconsin · lower than 95% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
69% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 11 declared for Washington County
By hazard

What Slinger 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

69%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

19%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Lightning top 2% Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms 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 28% of Slinger’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 Slinger’s grade

River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Slinger, and Slinger’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 19% (higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Slinger sits
Slinger
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A #52 of 362 in Wisconsin; lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Slinger’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 flooding69%Tornadoes19%Hail9%Everything else4%

The typical Wisconsin town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Slinger has less expected damage per building than 86% of Wisconsin towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.0M a year in losses across Slinger: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Slinger 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 Slinger flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Slinger. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Slinger

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

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  2. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Mudslides2 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  3. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$8K to the Village of Slinger for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding21 households applied for aid$28K aid approved$22K to the Village of Slinger for repairs
  5. 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$8K to the Village of Slinger for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SlingerWashington County only

Washington County has had 11 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 Slinger after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Slinger archive →
Next door

Slinger and its neighbors

Slinger is 3rd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Polk: hazard risk AHartford: hazard risk A+Hartford: hazard risk A+PolkHartfordHartfordSlinger
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
HartfordA+less damage than 96%river and rain flooding2
HartfordA+less damage than 96%river and rain flooding2
SlingerAless damage than 95%river and rain flooding0
PolkAless damage than 92%river and rain flooding—

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 Slinger 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 Slinger

Is Slinger at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Slinger has lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #52 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and tornadoes (19%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Slinger 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 Washington County, 37% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Slinger?

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

By FEMA money that reached Slinger, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 21 households applied for aid, $28K approved, and $22K to the Village of Slinger for repairs.

Is Slinger at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Slinger’s rate for it is lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Slinger.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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