Natural hazards · Palatine

Palatine, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palatine comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 61 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 Palatine?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palatine to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves31%Tornadoes16%Heat waves9%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Palatine faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

31% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

9% 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 windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Palatine flood?

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

61paid claims since 1978

$448Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 3 claims, $117K
Mid-spring storms: 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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Palatine is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Cook County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Palatine

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalatineDeclared for Cook County only

2024

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

23 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $84K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

30 households applied for aid $37K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$112K to the Village of Palatine for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

28 households applied for aid $29K aid approved $27K to the Village of Palatine for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $104K to the Village of Palatine for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$57K to the Village of Palatine for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$74K to the Village of Palatine for repairs

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

Around Palatine

Palatine and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wheelingmostly inland floodingModerate

Rolling Meadowsmostly inland floodingModerate

Arlington Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate

Palatinemostly inland floodingLow

Invernessmostly inland floodingLow

Schaumburgmostly inland floodingLow

Deer Parkmostly 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. Palatine covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palatine’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Palatine. 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 Palatine total about $23.2M 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.