Natural hazards · Vernon

Vernon, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vernon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 73 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 Vernon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vernon to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes15%Cold waves13%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Vernon faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

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 Vernon flood?

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

73paid claims since 1979

$2.8Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $1.0M
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $22K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lake County.

Disasters that hit Vernon

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VernonDeclared for Lake County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$12K to the Township of Vernon for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Township of Vernon for repairs

Lake County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Vernon

Vernon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Deerfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Wheelingmostly inland floodingHigh

Wheelingmostly inland floodingModerate

Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

Libertyvillemostly inland floodingLow

Elamostly 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. Vernon covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vernon’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Vernon. 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 Vernon total about $35.3M 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.