Before a Flood

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in Wisconsin. The best time to start thinking about flooding is before it happens. You can become more flood resilient by learning about your personal flood risk and by taking steps to prepare yourself, your home, and your loved ones.

Learn about your flood risk

Use the City’s Flood Risk Map to learn if you live, work, travel, or park in areas that are prone to flooding during extreme events. Pay close attention to streets and above or below ground parking areas. Where watershed studies have been completed, the map displays detailed flood depths for a storm that has a 1% chance of occurring in a given year. Where watershed studies are still in progress, the map displays areas with soil characteristics that suggest flooding has occurred in the past.

Use the City’s Historical Street Flooding Map to learn if you travel or park in areas that are likely to flash flood during more common large thunderstorms. This map provides a simplified view of streets that have historically flooded during reasonably frequent summer thunderstorms.  This map combined data from flood reporting, watershed studies, and historical tracking of flooded areas. Residents and visitors may want to avoid driving and parking in these areas during heavy rain.

Additionally, if you live near a body of water, such as Starkweather Creek, Lake Mendota or Lake Monona, you can find out if you live within a FEMA floodplain and how that could impact you.

Take steps to prepare for flooding

• If you live or work in a flood prone area, avoid storing valuable items and important documents on the floor of your basement or your first floor.
• If you travel or park in flood prone areas, plan alternative driving routes and parking spots for times when flooding is possible.
• Learn what steps you and your loved ones should take during a flood to ensure your physical safety and to secure your home and belongings. It can be helpful to create a plan!
• Learn ways you can be a Watershed Steward and make your community more flood resilient. Being a Watershed Steward can include actions such as building a rain garden in your yard and helping keep storm drains and gutters clear of debris.
• Learn ways you can prepare your home for general flooding.
• Learn ways you can prepare your home for lake level flooding.
• Learn ways you can prevent basement flooding.
• Learn about the differences between the two types of flooding that occur in Madison -- Flash flooding and Lake Level flooding. *Note: Please view the story maps using Firefox or Google Chrome browsers. Story maps are not viewable with Internet Explorer.
• Learn more about flood insurance including why it's important, the different types of insurance, and what questions to ask to find out which type can best protect your property.

Preparing your home for General Flooding