Natural hazards · Carol Stream

Carol Stream, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carol Stream comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 123 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carol Stream?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carol Stream to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding50%Cold waves22%Tornadoes20%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Carol Stream faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Carol Stream flood?

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

123paid claims since 1978

$2.2Mpaid to owners

25homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 53 claims, $1.2M
Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $45K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DuPage County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Carol Stream

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Carol StreamDeclared for DuPage County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

37 households applied for aid $92K aid approved $21K to the Village of Carol Stream for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$127K to the Village of Carol Stream for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

78 households applied for aid $118K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

85 households applied for aid $121K aid approved $56K to the Village of Carol Stream for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$74K to the Village of Carol Stream for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$74K to the Village of Carol Stream for repairs

DuPage County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Carol Stream

Carol Stream and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Winfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Wheatonmostly inland floodingModerate

Glen Ellynmostly inland floodingLow

Carol Streammostly inland floodingLow

Bartlettmostly inland floodingLow

Waynemostly inland floodingLow

Bloomingdalemostly inland floodingLow

Hanover Parkmostly cold wavesLow

Bloomingdalemostly inland floodingVery low

Glendale Heightsmostly inland floodingVery 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. Carol Stream covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carol Stream’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Carol Stream. 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 Carol Stream total about $14.0M 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.