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Natural hazards · Palos Hills

Palos Hills, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palos Hills comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Palos Hills?

92
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palos Hills to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Cold waves13%Tornadoes7%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Palos Hills faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Palos Hills flood?

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

49paid claims since 1979
$359Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 2 claims, $46K

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. Palos Hills 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Palos Hills

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Palos Hills itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Palos Hills.

Brought FEMA money into Palos HillsDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

20 households applied for aid $59K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $71K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $56K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$15K to the City of Palos Hills for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $40K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$9K to the City of Palos Hills for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$8K to the City of Palos Hills for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Palos Hills

Palos Hills and the towns around it

Hickory Hills: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBridgeview: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWorth: High, mostly inland floodingPalos Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalos Heights: Very high, mostly inland floodingJustice: Very high, mostly inland floodingBurbank: High, mostly inland floodingBedford Park: Low, mostly inland floodingOak Lawn: Very high, mostly inland floodingStickney: High, mostly inland floodingChicago Ridge: Very high, mostly inland floodingLyons: High, mostly inland floodingPalos: High, mostly inland floodingWorth: Very high, mostly inland floodingLemont: Low, mostly inland floodingOrland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingLemont: Low, mostly inland floodingPalos Hills: Very high, mostly inland flooding Palos HillsHickory HillsBridgeviewWorthPalos ParkPalos Heights
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Palos Hillsmostly inland floodingVery high
Palos Heightsmostly inland floodingVery high
Worthmostly inland floodingHigh
Palos Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Bridgeviewmostly inland floodingModerate
Hickory Hillsmostly 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. Palos Hills covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palos Hills’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Palos Hills. 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 Palos Hills total about $11.1M 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.

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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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