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Natural hazards · Skokie

Skokie, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Skokie comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 240 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 Skokie?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Skokie to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves30%Tornadoes15%Heat waves8%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Skokie faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

30% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Skokie flood?

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

240paid claims since 1979
$1.3Mpaid to owners
25homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 10 claims, $66K
  • Hurricane Ike: 9 claims, $27K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Skokie isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cook County.
Disasters that hit Skokie

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SkokieDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

31 households applied for aid $103K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

104 households applied for aid $324K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

941 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$136K to the Village of Skokie for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

104 households applied for aid $189K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

790 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $145K to the Village of Skokie for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$98K to the Village of Skokie for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$34K to the Village of Skokie for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$75K to the Village of Skokie for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Skokie

Skokie and the towns around it

Niles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMorton Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEvanston: Low, mostly inland floodingLincolnwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Trier: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilmette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGlenview: High, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaine: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLeyden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRosemont: Low, mostly inland floodingWorth: Very high, mostly inland floodingSchiller Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStickney: High, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Very high, mostly inland floodingPark Ridge: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElk Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinnetka: Low, mostly inland floodingGlencoe: Very low, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Very low, mostly inland floodingHighland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingMoraine: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGolf: Very high, mostly inland floodingProspect Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheeling: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSkokie: Moderate, mostly inland flooding SkokieNilesMorton GroveEvanstonLincolnwoodChicagoNilesNew TrierWilmetteGlenview
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Glenviewmostly inland floodingHigh
Morton Grovemostly inland floodingModerate
Wilmettemostly inland floodingModerate
New Triermostly inland floodingModerate
Nilesmostly inland floodingModerate
Chicagomostly inland floodingModerate
Lincolnwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Skokiemostly inland floodingModerate
Nilesmostly inland floodingLow
Evanstonmostly 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. Skokie covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Skokie’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Skokie. 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 Skokie total about $30.2M 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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