Natural hazards · Crete

Crete, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Crete comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 37 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 Crete?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Crete to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding56%Cold waves20%Tornadoes18%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Crete faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% 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 Crete flood?

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

37paid claims since 1979

$702Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 3 claims, $89K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Will County.

Disasters that hit Crete

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CreteDeclared for Will County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$8K to the Township of Crete for repairs

Will County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Crete

Crete and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Willowbrookmostly inland floodingHigh

Bloommostly inland floodingHigh

Moneemostly inland floodingModerate

Cretemostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

St. Johnmostly inland floodingModerate

Cretemostly inland floodingLow

Hanovermostly inland floodingLow

Stegermostly 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. Crete covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Crete’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Crete. 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 Crete total about $12.7M 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.