Natural hazards · Wheaton

Wheaton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wheaton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 152 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 Wheaton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wheaton to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding55%Cold waves20%Tornadoes17%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Wheaton faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Wheaton flood?

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

152paid claims since 1978

$1.3Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 29 claims, $584K
Hurricane Ike: 11 claims, $96K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Wheaton is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: DuPage County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Wheaton

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WheatonDeclared for DuPage County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

396 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $92K to the City of Wheaton for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$86K to the City of Wheaton for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

176 households applied for aid $408K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $57K aid approved $28K to the City of Wheaton for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$49K to the City of Wheaton for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$80K to the City of Wheaton for repairs

DuPage County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Wheaton

Wheaton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Winfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Winfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Wheatonmostly inland floodingModerate

Miltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Glen Ellynmostly inland floodingLow

Lislemostly inland floodingLow

Carol Streammostly 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. Wheaton covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wheaton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wheaton. 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 Wheaton total about $18.5M 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.