Lake County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lake County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.0 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 869 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 | 98.9 | $43M |
| Tornado | Very High | 98.9 | $47M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.3 | $7.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.2 | $155M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.7 | $2.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $5.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 88.4 | $2.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63.2 | $196K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 62.4 | $125K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.7 | $3.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.8 | $91K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 46.7 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 44.9 | $44K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 29.8 | $6K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.2 | $7K |
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 | 311 | 1 | $11M | 13th of 102 | 564th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 185 | 0 | $6K | 21st of 102 | 556th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 100 | 0 | $23M | 20th of 102 | 413th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 96 | 5 | $1K | 31st of 102 | 620th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 1 | $409K | 20th of 102 | 390th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 24 | 0 | – | 21st of 102 | 871st of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 24 | 1 | $2.8M | 3rd of 102 | 112th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 1 | $84M | 54th of 102 | 807th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 0 | – | 31st of 102 | 526th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 0 | – | 18th of 102 | 453rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 3 | – | 72nd of 102 | 990th of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 4 | 4 | – | 2nd of 102 | 112th of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $64K | 3rd of 102 | 547th 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 Lake County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.