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Natural hazards · Lake Bluff

Lake Bluff, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lake Bluff comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2017. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lake Bluff?

7
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lake Bluff to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes23%Cold waves17%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Lake Bluff faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Cold waves

17% 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 Lake Bluff flood?

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

5paid claims since 2017
$24Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20172026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Lake Bluff 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Lake Bluff

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Lake BluffDeclared for Lake County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the Village of Lake Bluff for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the Village of Lake Bluff for repairs
2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$16K to the Village of Lake Bluff for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $982 aid approved
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$7K to the Village of Lake Bluff for repairs
Lake County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.
Around Lake Bluff

Lake Bluff and the towns around it

Shields: Very low, mostly inland floodingKnollwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Chicago: Very low, mostly cold wavesLake Forest: Low, mostly inland floodingLibertyville: Low, mostly inland floodingWaukegan: Very low, mostly inland floodingGreen Oaks: Very low, mostly inland floodingMoraine: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Deerfield: High, mostly inland floodingWaukegan: Very low, mostly inland floodingHighland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingMettawa: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHighwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingBannockburn: High, mostly inland floodingLincolnshire: Low, mostly inland floodingWarren: Very low, mostly inland floodingFremont: Very low, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingMundelein: Very low, mostly inland floodingGrayslake: Low, mostly inland floodingLake Bluff: Very low, mostly inland flooding Lake BluffShieldsKnollwoodNorth ChicagoLake ForestLibertyville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Libertyvillemostly inland floodingLow
Lake Forestmostly inland floodingLow
Knollwoodmostly inland floodingVery low
Lake Bluffmostly inland floodingVery low
Shieldsmostly inland floodingVery low
North Chicagomostly cold wavesVery 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. Lake Bluff covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lake Bluff’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Lake Bluff. 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 Lake Bluff total about $2.8M 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.

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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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