Natural hazards · Wadsworth

Wadsworth, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wadsworth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2004. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wadsworth?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wadsworth to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes21%Cold waves19%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Wadsworth faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 52 years in the area

Cold waves

19% 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 Wadsworth flood?

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

3paid claims since 2004

$18Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $9K

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. Wadsworth 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 Wadsworth

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WadsworthDeclared for Lake County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $6K to the Village of Wadsworth for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$39K to the Village of Wadsworth for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$27K to the Village of Wadsworth for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$8K to the Village of Wadsworth for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$7K to the Village of Wadsworth for repairs

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

Around Wadsworth

Wadsworth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gurneemostly inland floodingLow

Warrenmostly inland floodingVery low

Wadsworthmostly inland floodingVery low

Newportmostly inland floodingVery low

Waukeganmostly inland floodingVery low

Beach Parkmostly inland floodingVery low

Bentonmostly inland floodingVery low

Zionmostly 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. Wadsworth covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wadsworth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Wadsworth. 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 Wadsworth total about $2.2M 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.