Natural hazards · Berkeley

Berkeley, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berkeley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berkeley?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berkeley to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves27%Tornadoes14%Heat waves7%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Berkeley faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berkeley flood?

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

2paid claims since 2013

$18Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $10K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cook County.

Disasters that hit Berkeley

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerkeleyDeclared for Cook County only

2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Floodng

43 households applied for aid $119K aid approved

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

87 households applied for aid $279K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

292 households applied for aid $705K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Village of Berkeley for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

414 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

55 households applied for aid $90K aid approved $3K to the Village of Berkeley for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$11K to the Village of Berkeley for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$9K to the Village of Berkeley for repairs

Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Berkeley

Berkeley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bellwoodmostly inland floodingVery high

Northlakemostly inland floodingHigh

Provisomostly inland floodingHigh

Melrose Parkmostly inland floodingHigh

Elmhurstmostly inland floodingHigh

Hillsidemostly inland floodingModerate

Berkeleymostly inland floodingModerate

Yorkmostly inland floodingLow

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. Berkeley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berkeley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Berkeley. 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 Berkeley total about $2.9M 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.