Natural hazards · Highland Park

Highland Park, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland Park comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 84 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highland Park?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highland Park to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes16%Cold waves14%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Highland Park faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Highland Park flood?

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

84paid claims since 1978

$559Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 6 claims, $21K
Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $13K

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

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Highland Park is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Lake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Highland Park

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Highland ParkDeclared for Lake County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $8K to the City of Highland Park for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$124K to the City of Highland Park for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$71K to the City of Highland Park for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$53K to the City of Highland Park for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$31K to the City of Highland Park for repairs

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

Around Highland Park

Highland Park and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Deerfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Bannockburnmostly inland floodingHigh

New Triermostly inland floodingModerate

Highland Parkmostly inland floodingLow

Lake Forestmostly inland floodingLow

Morainemostly inland floodingLow

Glencoemostly inland floodingVery low

Highwoodmostly 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. Highland Park covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highland Park’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Highland Park. 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 Highland Park total about $14.8M 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.