Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 77 claims here since 1980. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Plainfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves20%Tornadoes18%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% 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 Plainfield flood?

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

77paid claims since 1980

$2.0Mpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 21 claims, $838K
Hurricane Ike: 11 claims, $182K

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. Plainfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Will County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Plainfield

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Will County only

2024

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

226 households applied for aid $653K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

235 households applied for aid $345K aid approved $100K to the Village of Plainfield for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$124K to the Village of Plainfield for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

58 households applied for aid $65K aid approved $37K to the Village of Plainfield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$25K to the Village of Plainfield for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$17K to the Village of Plainfield for repairs

Will County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jolietmostly inland floodingModerate

Napervillemostly inland floodingModerate

Plainfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Bolingbrookmostly 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. Plainfield covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Plainfield. 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 Plainfield total about $12.7M 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.