FEMA Records
7
Low volume
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Kankakee County, IL
7 FEMA disaster declarations (1973-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 7
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 88
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Kankakee County: 7 FEMA declaration records are 46% below the Illinois county mean, even though the count is higher than 4% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks in the riskiest 12%.
- Riskiest 12%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 7
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 695
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Kankakee County compare?
Kankakee County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
7 4th percentile higher than 4% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Kankakee County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Illinois county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Kankakee County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $48.3M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Cold Wave carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Kankakee County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 695 claims and $10.2M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $14.7K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a Illinois county averages 12.9 federal declaration records, while Kankakee County has 7. The gap is 46% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 88.2/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $68.2M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.8 times per year here, based on 72 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The state comparison is the clearest context for Kankakee County's moderate federal record. Its 7 declarations sit 46% below the Illinois county mean, with 3 Major Disaster entries among them. 2 records concern Biological, the file's most frequent incident type. Spread across 47 years, the registry rate is 0.1 per year. FEMA reports authorized programs separately from the DR, EM, and FM codes.
36 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Kankakee County, IL · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
5/30
7 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
7/25
7 declarations (0.5x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
11/25
3 of 7 declarations are major disasters (43%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Kankakee County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
Moderate
vs. Illinois Avg
-46%
State avg: 12.9
vs. National Avg
-66%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.1
Over 47 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Kankakee County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
43%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
88
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Kankakee County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 3.8 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 667 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 4.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 5.5 times per year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 3.6 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 45 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 11 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 0.6 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 8,028 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Snowstorm 2
Hurricane 1
Severe Storm 1
Flood 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Kankakee County's record, 29% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Kankakee County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 4 57.1%
of all 7 declarations
Major Disaster - 3 42.9%
of all 7 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 7 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 7 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4489 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3435 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3230 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1513 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-04-23 |
| 3161 | ILLINOIS WINTER SNOW STORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-01-17 |
| 3134 | IL-WINTER STORM 1/1/99 | EM | Snowstorm | 1999-01-08 |
| 373 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-04-26 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Kankakee County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,218 | 9 | 67 | $46.0M |
| Hail | 3,195 | 0 | 0 | $27.1M |
| Winter Weather | 1,363 | 14 | 49 | $1.8M |
| Flood | 1,221 | 14 | 11 | $84.3M |
| Flash Flood | 1,133 | 11 | 3 | $1.1B |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
695
Total Paid
$10.2M
Avg Per Claim
$14.7K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 88.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$68.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Kankakee County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Kankakee County's closest FEMA peer: St. Landry Parish, LA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Kankakee County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Kankakee County: NRI composite 88.2 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar Major-disaster share
Kankakee County: 3 of 7 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Kankakee County shows 7 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Kankakee County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Kankakee County's NFIP claims file (695 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Kankakee County?
The most common disaster type in Kankakee County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (2), Hurricane (1), Severe Storm (1).
How does Kankakee County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
The typical Illinois county has 12.9 FEMA declaration records; Kankakee County has 7, or 46% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 66% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Kankakee County received?
Kankakee County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 43% of all 7 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Kankakee County filed?
Kankakee County has 695 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $10.2M in payments, with an average of $14.7K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Kankakee County?
No. In Kankakee County, Cold Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $48.3M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Kankakee County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Kankakee County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1973 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Kankakee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Kankakee County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 88.2 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Moderate; on community resilience, Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $68.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Kankakee County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Kankakee County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Riverine Flooding (Relatively Moderate) and Tornado (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 3.8 times per year, drawn from 72 historical events on record. 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.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
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 Kankakee County
Against a Illinois county mean of 13 declarations, Kankakee County, IL records 7, or 46% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as moderate activity.
- Emergency is the largest group (4 of 7) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Illinois overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 4% of recorded county totals, but its own Illinois benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- The large NFIP claims file and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records; the guide explains where they overlap and where they do not. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. 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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.