TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
NorthbrookGood morning
Natural hazards · Northbrook

Northbrook, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Northbrook comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 80 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Northbrook?

55
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Northbrook to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding60%Cold waves19%Tornadoes12%Heat waves5%Everything else4%
By hazard

What Northbrook faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Northbrook flood?

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

80paid claims since 1978
$1.1Mpaid to owners
8homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 4 claims, $197K
  • Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $6K

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
🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Northbrook is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Cook County.
Disasters that hit Northbrook

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorthbrookDeclared for Cook County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Floodng

9 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

27 households applied for aid $31K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$71K to the Village of Northbrook for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $51K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

76 households applied for aid $161K aid approved $108K to the Village of Northbrook for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$70K to the Village of Northbrook for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$45K to the Village of Northbrook for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$50K to the Village of Northbrook for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Northbrook

Northbrook and the towns around it

Glenview: High, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: High, mostly inland floodingGlencoe: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMoraine: Low, mostly inland floodingWheeling: High, mostly inland floodingNew Trier: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilmette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingGolf: Very high, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMorton Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSkokie: Moderate, mostly inland floodingProspect Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheeling: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinnetka: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingRiverwoods: High, mostly inland floodingBannockburn: High, mostly inland floodingNiles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Deerfield: High, mostly inland floodingLake Forest: Low, mostly inland floodingShields: Very low, mostly inland floodingBuffalo Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingEvanston: Low, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorthbrook: Moderate, mostly inland flooding NorthbrookGlenviewNorthfieldDeerfieldGlencoeNorthfieldMoraineWheelingNew Trier
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Deerfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Glenviewmostly inland floodingHigh
Wheelingmostly inland floodingHigh
Northbrookmostly inland floodingModerate
Northfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Northfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
New Triermostly inland floodingModerate
Morainemostly inland floodingLow
Glencoemostly 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. Northbrook covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Northbrook’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Northbrook. 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 Northbrook total about $18.1M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Northbrook, ILView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Northbrook is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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