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Natural hazards · Prospect Heights

Prospect Heights, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prospect Heights comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 71 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Prospect Heights?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prospect Heights to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves30%Tornadoes13%Heat waves8%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Prospect Heights faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

30% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% 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 weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Prospect Heights flood?

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

71paid claims since 1979
$2.2Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 7 claims, $295K
  • Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $2K

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
🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Prospect Heights is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Cook County.
Disasters that hit Prospect Heights

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Prospect HeightsDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $35K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the City of Prospect Heights for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $47K to the City of Prospect Heights for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$32K to the City of Prospect Heights for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$12K to the City of Prospect Heights for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$14K to the City of Prospect Heights for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Prospect Heights

Prospect Heights and the towns around it

Arlington Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheeling: High, mostly inland floodingMount Prospect: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGlenview: High, mostly inland floodingRolling Meadows: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBuffalo Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalatine: Low, mostly inland floodingWheeling: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalatine: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilmette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingGolf: Very high, mostly inland floodingMorton Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSkokie: Moderate, mostly inland floodingProspect Heights: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Prospect HeightsArlington HeightsWheelingMount ProspectGlenview
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Wheelingmostly inland floodingHigh
Glenviewmostly inland floodingHigh
Prospect Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate
Mount Prospectmostly inland floodingModerate
Arlington Heightsmostly 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. Prospect Heights covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Prospect Heights’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Prospect Heights. 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 Prospect Heights total about $8.3M 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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