Cook County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cook County's overall risk Very High (score 100.0 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 10 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, winter weather, tornado. Its storm record holds 3,347 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 100.0 | $700M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 100.0 | $4.4M |
| Tornado | Very High | 100.0 | $345M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.9 | $1.1B |
| Heat Wave | Very High | 99.8 | $193M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.6 | $12M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.2 | $2.7M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.2 | $2.0M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 99.1 | $11M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.4 | $57M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 44.0 | $37K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.4 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.8 | $56K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 48.9 | $57K |
| Drought | Very Low | 25.7 | $12K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1,514 | 12 | $25M | 4th of 102 | 280th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 643 | 0 | $25M | 3rd of 102 | 196th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 423 | 3 | $1.8B | 12th of 102 | 163rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 173 | 17 | $850K | 56th of 102 | 1251st of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 134 | 149 | – | 20th of 102 | 126th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 120 | 6 | $2.1M | 22nd of 102 | 463rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 87 | 39 | $848M | 25th of 102 | 329th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 78 | 341 | $996K | 33rd of 102 | 392nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 61 | 1 | $447K | 10th of 102 | 273rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 57 | 3 | $8.6M | 2nd of 102 | 95th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 28 | 22 | – | 1st of 102 | 62nd of 2,080 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 76th of 102 | 1780th of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $2.8M | 17th of 102 | 1131st of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cook County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.