Natural hazards · Olympia Fields

Olympia Fields, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olympia Fields comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olympia Fields?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olympia Fields to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding60%Cold waves16%Tornadoes15%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Olympia Fields 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

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% 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 Olympia Fields flood?

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

23paid claims since 1978

$117Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $8K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $4K

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

No community discount. Olympia Fields 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 Olympia Fields

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Olympia FieldsDeclared for Cook County only

2024

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

170 households applied for aid $464K aid approved

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

204 households applied for aid $606K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

143 households applied for aid $281K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the Village of Olympia Fields for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

200 households applied for aid $447K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

114 households applied for aid $128K aid approved

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$6K to the Village of Olympia Fields for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$7K to the Village of Olympia Fields for repairs

Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Olympia Fields

Olympia Fields and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Flossmoormostly inland floodingModerate

Mattesonmostly inland floodingModerate

Park Forestmostly inland floodingModerate

Olympia Fieldsmostly inland floodingModerate

Chicago Heightsmostly inland floodingLow

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. Olympia Fields covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olympia Fields’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Olympia Fields. 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 Olympia Fields total about $3.2M 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.