Natural hazards · Ela

Ela, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ela comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 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 Ela?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ela to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes18%Cold waves15%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Ela faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

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 Ela flood?

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

22paid claims since 1979

$226Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $36K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $19K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ela 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 Ela

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElaDeclared for Lake County only

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$8K to the Township of Ela for repairs

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

Around Ela

Ela and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cubamostly inland floodingHigh

Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

Palatinemostly inland floodingLow

North Barringtonmostly inland floodingLow

Deer Parkmostly inland floodingLow

Elamostly inland floodingLow

Barringtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Fremontmostly inland floodingVery low

Hawthorn Woodsmostly 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. Ela covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ela’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ela. 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 Ela total about $18.3M 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.