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Natural hazards · Wilmette

Wilmette, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wilmette comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 95 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Wilmette?

57
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wilmette to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves21%Tornadoes12%Heat waves6%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Wilmette faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Wilmette flood?

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

95paid claims since 1978
$456Kpaid to owners
17homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $142K
  • Hurricane Ike: 9 claims, $48K

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. Wilmette 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 Wilmette

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WilmetteDeclared for Cook County only
2024

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

2 households applied for aid
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $27K aid approved
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

215 households applied for aid $435K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$100K to the Village of Wilmette for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $90K aid approved $24K to the Village of Wilmette for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$886K to the Village of Wilmette for repairs
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$31K to the Village of Wilmette for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$41K to the Village of Wilmette for repairs
Cook County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Wilmette

Wilmette and the towns around it

New Trier: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGlenview: High, mostly inland floodingKenilworth: Very low, mostly inland floodingEvanston: Low, mostly inland floodingSkokie: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinnetka: Low, mostly inland floodingGlencoe: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHighland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingMoraine: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingGolf: Very high, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMorton Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingProspect Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheeling: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLincolnwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaine: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilmette: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WilmetteNew TrierGlenviewKenilworthEvanstonSkokieNilesNorthfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Glenviewmostly inland floodingHigh
Wilmettemostly inland floodingModerate
Northfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
New Triermostly inland floodingModerate
Nilesmostly inland floodingModerate
Skokiemostly inland floodingModerate
Evanstonmostly inland floodingLow
Kenilworthmostly 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. Wilmette covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wilmette’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Wilmette. 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 Wilmette total about $17.3M 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.

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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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