Natural hazards · Benton

Benton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Benton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Benton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding39%Cold waves26%Tornadoes25%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Benton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Benton flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Benton, from FEMA’s records.

20paid claims since 1979

$432Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $5K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Benton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lake County.

Disasters that hit Benton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Benton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Benton.

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Lake County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Benton for repairs

Lake County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Benton

Benton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wadsworthmostly inland floodingVery low

Newportmostly inland floodingVery low

Waukeganmostly inland floodingVery low

Bentonmostly inland floodingVery low

Beach Parkmostly inland floodingVery low

Zionmostly inland floodingVery low

Winthrop Harbormostly inland floodingVery low

Pleasant Prairiemostly cold wavesVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Benton covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Benton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Benton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Benton total about $4.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.