Natural hazards · Prairie Grove

Prairie Grove, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prairie Grove comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 101 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Prairie Grove?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prairie Grove to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes13%Cold waves13%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Prairie Grove faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

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 Prairie Grove flood?

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

101paid claims since 1979

$1.2Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $245K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $284

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Prairie Grove isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: McHenry County.

Disasters that hit Prairie Grove

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Prairie GroveDeclared for McHenry County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Village of Prairie Grove for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$3K to the Village of Prairie Grove for repairs

2006

Snow

$3K to the Village of Prairie Grove for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$2K to the Village of Prairie Grove for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Village of Prairie Grove for repairs

McHenry County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Prairie Grove

Prairie Grove and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

McHenrymostly inland floodingHigh

Prairie Grovemostly inland floodingHigh

Crystal Lakemostly 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. Prairie Grove covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Prairie Grove’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Prairie Grove. 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 Prairie Grove total about $6.6M 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.