Will County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Will County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 1,579 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 | 99.6 | $72M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.2 | $63M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.9 | $193M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.2 | $617K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.9 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | $8.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 90.3 | $7.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $532K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.6 | $498K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 50.8 | $730K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.1 | $72K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.4 | $3K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 56.2 | $88K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 26.2 | $14K |
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 | 590 | 0 | $5.3M | 28th of 102 | 775th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 359 | 0 | $107K | 16th of 102 | 453rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 160 | 3 | $34M | 26th of 102 | 525th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 149 | 1 | $916K | 60th of 102 | 1342nd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 98 | 34 | $979M | 12th of 102 | 180th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 47 | 10 | – | 40th of 102 | 744th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 41 | 3 | $2.1M | 4th of 102 | 174th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 0 | $145K | 37th of 102 | 1203rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 37 | 12 | – | 66th of 102 | 881st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 0 | – | 21st of 102 | 521st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 68th of 102 | 1714th of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $71K | 7th of 102 | 798th 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 Will County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.