West Deerfield’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Deerfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 179 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about West Deerfield’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does West Deerfield flood? Yes: 179 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Deerfield, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms3 claims · $24K
- Hurricane Ike2 claims · $4K
West Deerfield 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.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to West Deerfield
Disasters that paid out in West Deerfield itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Township of West Deerfield) and its biggest flood years.
- 201716 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$2K to the Township of West Deerfield for repairs
- 198714 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 198296 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
Lake County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.
Old photos of West Deerfield after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Deerfield archive →How exposed is West Deerfield?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 1,906 of the 2,886 Illinois towns we cover.
West Deerfield covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
What West Deerfield faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Cold waves
Get ready for what West Deerfield actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
West Deerfield and its neighbors
West Deerfield has the highest rating of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Deerfield | High | inland flooding | 179 |
| Northfield | Moderate | inland flooding | 333 |
| Vernon | Low | inland flooding | 73 |
| Moraine | Low | inland flooding | 59 |
| Shields | Very low | inland flooding | 102 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in March–April
The month each of Lake County’s 15 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to West Deerfield’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Deerfield.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across West Deerfield, expected losses total about $23.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Deerfield.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.