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Natural hazards · Thornton

Thornton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thornton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1980. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Thornton?

34
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thornton to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves24%Tornadoes17%Heat waves7%Everything else4%
By hazard

What Thornton faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Thornton flood?

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

4paid claims since 1980
$20Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $11K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Thornton 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 Thornton

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ThorntonDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

103 households applied for aid $222K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

104 households applied for aid $180K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $54K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Village of Thornton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $32K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

71 households applied for aid $66K aid approved $10K to the Village of Thornton for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Village of Thornton for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$3K to the Village of Thornton for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$5K to the Village of Thornton for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Thornton

Thornton and the towns around it

South Holland: Very high, mostly inland floodingHomewood: High, mostly inland floodingThornton: Very high, mostly inland floodingBloom: High, mostly inland floodingGlenwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHarvey: Very high, mostly inland floodingCalumet City: High, mostly inland floodingDolton: Very high, mostly inland floodingLansing: High, mostly inland floodingPhoenix: High, mostly inland floodingEast Hazel Crest: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFlossmoor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHazel Crest: High, mostly inland floodingRich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBremen: High, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBurnham: High, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Very high, mostly inland floodingHammond: Low, mostly inland floodingRiverdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingMunster: High, mostly inland floodingDixmoor: Very high, mostly inland floodingSteger: Low, mostly inland floodingCrete: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCrete: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChicago Heights: Low, mostly inland floodingLynwood: Very high, mostly inland floodingThornton: Low, mostly inland flooding ThorntonSouth HollandHomewoodThorntonBloomGlenwood
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
South Hollandmostly inland floodingVery high
Thorntonmostly inland floodingVery high
Homewoodmostly inland floodingHigh
Bloommostly inland floodingHigh
Glenwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Thorntonmostly 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. Thornton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Thornton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Thornton. 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 Thornton total about $1.9M 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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