Natural hazards · Saratoga

Saratoga, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Saratoga comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Saratoga?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Cold waves50%Inland flooding33%Tornadoes10%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Saratoga faces

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

Cold waves

50% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% 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 Saratoga flood?

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

14paid claims since 1979

$156Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $6K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $10K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Grundy County.

Disasters that hit Saratoga

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SaratogaDeclared for Grundy County only

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$3K to the Township of Saratoga for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$6K to the Township of Saratoga for repairs

Grundy County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Saratoga

Saratoga and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nettle Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Saratogamostly cold wavesModerate

Morrismostly cold wavesModerate

Lisbonmostly inland floodingModerate

Aux Sablemostly cold wavesModerate

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. Saratoga covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Saratoga’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Saratoga. 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 Saratoga total about $2.5M 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.