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Downtown Union Grove, WIPhoto: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Union Grove · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Union Grove than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Union Grove gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #7 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then tornadoes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1980.

River and rain flooding 74%Tornadoes 16%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

among the lowestof U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#7 of 362 in Wisconsin
Hazard risk
A+#7 of 362
in Wisconsin · among the lowest of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
74% of expected building damage
Flood claims
5
paid since 1980 · $643K
Disasters paid out here
7
of 14 declared for Racine County
By hazard

What Union Grove 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

74%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 93% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Lightning Ice storms Heat waves Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Cold 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 30% of Union Grove’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 Union Grove’s grade

River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Union Grove, and Union Grove’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 93% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 16% (higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Union Grove sits
Union Grove
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A+ #7 of 362 in Wisconsin; among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Union Grove’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding74%Tornadoes16%Hail6%Everything else4%

The typical Wisconsin town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Union Grove has less expected damage per building than 98% of Wisconsin towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Union Grove: $578K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Union Grove’s 4,806 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Union Grove flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1980

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Union Grove, from FEMA’s records: 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1980: 4 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 1 claim2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19802017
19802026
5
paid claims since 1980
$643K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$129K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Racine County.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Union Grove

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

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
  2. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$17K to the Village of Union Grove for repairs
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  4. 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$9K to the Village of Union Grove for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding11 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
  6. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Show all 7
  1. 2000Snow$4K to the Village of Union Grove for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Union GroveRacine County only

Racine County has had 14 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 Union Grove after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Union Grove archive →
Next door

Union Grove and its neighbors

Union Grove has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Yorkville: hazard risk A+Dover: hazard risk AYorkvilleDoverUnion Grove
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Union GroveA+among the lowest damageriver and rain flooding5
YorkvilleA+less damage than 98%river and rain flooding1
DoverAless damage than 94%river and rain flooding5

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 Union Grove 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 Union Grove

Is Union Grove at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Union Grove has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #7 of 362 in Wisconsin. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and tornadoes (16%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Union Grove flood?

Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Union Grove since 1980, $643K in all, or 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Union Grove 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 Racine County, 46% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Union Grove?

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

By FEMA money that reached Union Grove, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2026): 4 households applied for aid, $17K approved.

Is Union Grove at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Union Grove’s rate for it is lower than 93% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Union Grove.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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