TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
Downers GroveGood evening
Natural hazards · Downers Grove

Downers Grove, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Downers Grove comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 102 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 Downers Grove?

37
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Downers Grove to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves18%Tornadoes17%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Downers Grove faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% 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 Downers Grove flood?

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

102paid claims since 1978
$1.3Mpaid to owners
10homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 30 claims, $630K
  • Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $5K

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
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Downers Grove is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: DuPage County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Downers Grove

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Downers GroveDeclared for DuPage County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

601 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $100K to the Village of Downers Grove for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$77K to the Village of Downers Grove for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $57K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $29K aid approved $15K to the Village of Downers Grove for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$40K to the Village of Downers Grove for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$33K to the Village of Downers Grove for repairs
DuPage County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Downers Grove

Downers Grove and the towns around it

Westmont: Very low, mostly inland floodingDarien: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodridge: Low, mostly inland floodingLisle: Low, mostly inland floodingDowners Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingLisle: Low, mostly inland floodingLombard: Low, mostly inland floodingOak Brook: Low, mostly inland floodingWillowbrook: Low, mostly inland floodingClarendon Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingHinsdale: High, mostly inland floodingYork: Low, mostly inland floodingBolingbrook: Low, mostly inland floodingLemont: Low, mostly inland floodingRomeoville: Very low, mostly inland floodingLemont: Low, mostly inland floodingNaperville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheaton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWillow Springs: High, mostly inland floodingLyons: High, mostly inland floodingNaperville: Low, mostly inland floodingMilton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDu Page: Very low, mostly inland floodingVilla Park: Low, mostly inland floodingAddison: Low, mostly inland floodingGlen Ellyn: Low, mostly inland floodingOakbrook Terrace: Low, mostly inland floodingProviso: High, mostly inland floodingElmhurst: High, mostly inland floodingDowners Grove: Low, mostly inland flooding Downers GroveWestmontDarienWoodridgeLisleDowners GroveLisleLombardOak Brook
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Downers Grovemostly inland floodingLow
Lombardmostly inland floodingLow
Lislemostly inland floodingLow
Lislemostly inland floodingLow
Downers Grovemostly inland floodingLow
Oak Brookmostly inland floodingLow
Darienmostly inland floodingLow
Woodridgemostly inland floodingLow
Westmontmostly 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. Downers Grove covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Downers Grove’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Downers Grove. 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 Downers Grove total about $24.4M 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Downers Grove, ILView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Downers Grove is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map