Natural hazards · Glendale Heights

Glendale Heights, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Glendale Heights comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 46 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 Glendale Heights?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Glendale Heights to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves26%Tornadoes25%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Glendale Heights faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% 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 Glendale Heights flood?

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

46paid claims since 1978

$337Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $122K
Hurricane Ike: 2 claims, $19K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Glendale Heights is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: DuPage County.

Disasters that hit Glendale Heights

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Glendale HeightsDeclared for DuPage County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

76 households applied for aid $167K aid approved $12K to the Village of Glendale Heights for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$41K to the Village of Glendale Heights for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

144 households applied for aid $437K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $55K aid approved $53K to the Village of Glendale Heights for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$25K to the Village of Glendale Heights for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$35K to the Village of Glendale Heights for repairs

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

Around Glendale Heights

Glendale Heights and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carol Streammostly inland floodingLow

Addisonmostly inland floodingLow

Bloomingdalemostly inland floodingLow

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. Glendale Heights covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Glendale Heights’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Glendale Heights. 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 Glendale Heights total about $6.1M 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.