Natural hazards · Shorewood

Shorewood, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shorewood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Shorewood?

66
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shorewood to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding67%Cold waves16%Tornadoes14%Everything else4%
By hazard

What Shorewood faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% 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 Shorewood flood?

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

58paid claims since 1978
$1.0Mpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $97K
  • Hurricane Ike: 3 claims, $28K

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. Shorewood 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

49flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Shorewood

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShorewoodDeclared for Will County only
2024

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

86 households applied for aid $144K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

25 households applied for aid $49K aid approved $8K to the Village of Shorewood for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$29K to the Village of Shorewood for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $11K to the Village of Shorewood for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$15K to the Village of Shorewood for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$10K to the Village of Shorewood for repairs
Will County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Shorewood

Shorewood and the towns around it

Joliet: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRidgewood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPreston Heights: Low, mostly inland floodingCrystal Lawns: High, mostly inland floodingIngalls Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Lenox: Low, mostly inland floodingRockdale: Very low, mostly inland floodingCrest Hill: Very low, mostly inland floodingSunnyland: Very low, mostly inland floodingChannahon: Low, mostly cold wavesElwood: Low, mostly inland floodingShorewood: High, mostly inland flooding ShorewoodJoliet
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Shorewoodmostly inland floodingHigh
Jolietmostly 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. Shorewood covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shorewood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Shorewood. 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 Shorewood total about $12.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01