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Natural hazards · Elgin

Elgin, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elgin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 115 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Elgin?

50
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elgin to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves28%Tornadoes17%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Elgin 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 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% 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 Elgin flood?

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

115paid claims since 1979
$1.9Mpaid to owners
23homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 39 claims, $1.0M
  • Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $255K
  • Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Elgin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kane County.
Disasters that hit Elgin

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElginDeclared for Kane County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

113 households applied for aid $65K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$214K to the City of Elgin for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

212 households applied for aid $444K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $33K aid approved $68K to the City of Elgin for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$28K to the City of Elgin for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$62K to the City of Elgin for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$64K to the City of Elgin for repairs
Kane County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Elgin

Elgin and the towns around it

Campton Hills: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Dundee: Very low, mostly inland floodingBartlett: Low, mostly inland floodingPingree Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Elgin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElgin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDundee: Very low, mostly inland floodingGilberts: Low, mostly inland floodingPlato: Low, mostly inland floodingHanover: Low, mostly cold wavesSleepy Hollow: Very low, mostly inland floodingWayne: Low, mostly inland floodingCampton: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. Charles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSt. Charles: Low, mostly inland floodingCarpentersville: Very low, mostly cold wavesEast Dundee: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStreamwood: Low, mostly cold wavesHanover Park: Low, mostly cold wavesWayne: Very low, mostly inland floodingCarol Stream: Low, mostly inland floodingHampshire: Low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Low, mostly inland floodingAlgonquin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Very low, mostly inland floodingAlgonquin: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarrington Hills: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingHampshire: Low, mostly inland floodingSchaumburg: Low, mostly inland floodingBloomingdale: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Chicago: Very low, mostly inland floodingElgin: Moderate, mostly inland flooding ElginCampton HillsWest DundeeBartlettPingree GroveSouth ElginElginDundeeGilbertsPlatoHanoverSleepy HollowWayne
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Elginmostly inland floodingModerate
South Elginmostly inland floodingModerate
Elginmostly inland floodingModerate
Campton Hillsmostly inland floodingLow
Platomostly inland floodingLow
Gilbertsmostly inland floodingLow
Bartlettmostly inland floodingLow
Waynemostly inland floodingLow
Pingree Grovemostly inland floodingLow
Hanovermostly cold wavesLow
Dundeemostly inland floodingVery low
West Dundeemostly inland floodingVery low
Sleepy Hollowmostly 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. Elgin covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elgin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Elgin. 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 Elgin total about $34.9M 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.

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