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Natural hazards · Oak Park

Oak Park, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oak Park comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1997. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Oak Park?

71
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oak Park to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding55%Cold waves24%Tornadoes12%Heat waves7%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Oak Park faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oak Park flood?

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

1paid claims since 1997
$2Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19972026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Oak Park isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cook County.
Disasters that hit Oak Park

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Oak ParkDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

97 households applied for aid $92K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

562 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

146 households applied for aid $183K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$133K to the Village of Oak Park for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

537 households applied for aid $983K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

54 households applied for aid $66K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$61K to the Village of Oak Park for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$83K to the Village of Oak Park for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$88K to the Village of Oak Park for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Oak Park

Oak Park and the towns around it

Oak Park: High, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLeyden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaine: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRosemont: Low, mostly inland floodingWorth: Very high, mostly inland floodingSchiller Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStickney: High, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Very high, mostly inland floodingPark Ridge: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElk Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOak Park: High, mostly inland flooding Oak ParkOak ParkChicago
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Oak Parkmostly inland floodingHigh
Oak Parkmostly inland floodingHigh
Chicagomostly inland floodingModerate
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. Oak Park covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oak Park’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Oak 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 Oak Park total about $30.2M 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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