FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cook County, IL
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very High. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 100
- NRI risk · Very High
- Flood
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Cook County in the top 1% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Cook County compare?
- Cook County
- 3
- Illinois county avg
- 1.2
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Cook County?
Cook County, Illinois has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2024, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 3.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 147% above the Illinois county average of 1.2 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Flood, with 2 of 3 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 100.0/100 (Very High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very High (roughly $2424.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively High and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Taken together, Cook County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Illinois Avg
+147%
State avg: 1.2
vs. National Avg
-20%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
3.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cook County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Cook County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
17031
IL state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 2
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 100.0%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4819 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODNG | DR | Flood | 2024-09-20 |
| 4749 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-11-20 |
| 4728 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-08-15 |
Storm Events in Illinois
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,196 | 9 | 78 | $48.0M |
| Hail | 3,526 | 0 | 0 | $27.1M |
| Winter Weather | 1,524 | 16 | 53 | $1.8M |
| Flood | 1,290 | 14 | 11 | $84.4M |
| Flash Flood | 1,242 | 11 | 3 | $1.6B |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very High
Score: 100.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very High
$2424.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Very High
Winter Weather Very High
Tornado Very High
Heat Wave Very High
Strong Wind Very High
Hail Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively High
Lightning Very High
Ice Storm Very High
Landslide Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Illinois
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Cook County, Illinois had?
Cook County, Illinois has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2024. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Cook County?
The most common disaster type in Cook County is Flood, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1).
How does Cook County's disaster risk compare to the Illinois average?
Cook County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 147% higher than the Illinois county average of 1.2 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Cook County received?
Cook County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Illinois?
The most common storm types in Illinois include Thunderstorm Wind (8,196 events), Hail (3,526 events), Winter Weather (1,524 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Cook County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cook County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Cook County?
Cook County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cook County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 100.0 out of 100 (Very High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very High, representing $2424.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cook County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Cook County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Very High) and Tornado (Very High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Cook County
Cook County, IL has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 147% above the Illinois county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Illinois overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.