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Natural hazards · St. Charles

St. Charles, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. Charles comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 44 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is St. Charles?

29
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. Charles to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding51%Cold waves23%Tornadoes20%Everything else6%
By hazard

What St. Charles faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% 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 St. Charles flood?

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

44paid claims since 1978
$463Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 10 claims, $141K
  • Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. St. Charles is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Kane County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit St. Charles

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into St. CharlesDeclared for Kane County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

56 households applied for aid $120K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$87K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

96 households applied for aid $270K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $93K aid approved $66K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$40K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$53K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
Kane County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around St. Charles

St. Charles and the towns around it

Wayne: Very low, mostly inland floodingSt. Charles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGeneva: Low, mostly inland floodingGeneva: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Chicago: Very low, mostly inland floodingCampton: Low, mostly inland floodingCampton Hills: Low, mostly inland floodingBartlett: Low, mostly inland floodingElgin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Elgin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWayne: Low, mostly inland floodingElgin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBatavia: Very low, mostly inland floodingBatavia: Low, mostly inland floodingBlackberry: Low, mostly inland floodingVirgil: Low, mostly inland floodingPlato: Low, mostly inland floodingLily Lake: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. Charles: Low, mostly inland flooding St. CharlesWayneSt. CharlesGenevaGenevaWest ChicagoCamptonCampton Hills
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
St. Charlesmostly inland floodingModerate
Campton Hillsmostly inland floodingLow
Genevamostly inland floodingLow
Camptonmostly inland floodingLow
St. Charlesmostly inland floodingLow
Genevamostly inland floodingLow
Waynemostly inland floodingVery low
West Chicagomostly inland floodingVery low
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. St. Charles covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. Charles’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of St. Charles. 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 St. Charles 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
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