Illinois cold wave risk
Cook County has the highest cold wave risk in Illinois, scoring 100 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook County | 100 | Very High |
| 2 | DuPage County | 99.7 | Very High |
| 3 | Will County | 99.6 | Very High |
| 4 | Kane County | 99.2 | Very High |
| 5 | Lake County | 98.9 | Very High |
| 6 | Peoria County | 98.6 | Relatively High |
| 7 | McLean County | 98.1 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Winnebago County | 97.8 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Champaign County | 97.7 | Relatively High |
| 10 | McHenry County | 96.7 | Relatively High |
| 11 | Sangamon County | 96.6 | Relatively High |
| 12 | LaSalle County | 96.5 | Relatively High |
| 13 | St. Clair County | 96.4 | Relatively High |
| 14 | Kendall County | 95.9 | Relatively High |
| 15 | Madison County | 95.8 | Relatively High |
| 16 | Rock Island County | 95.7 | Relatively High |
| 17 | Tazewell County | 95 | Relatively High |
| 18 | DeKalb County | 94.4 | Relatively High |
| 19 | Kankakee County | 94.4 | Relatively High |
| 20 | Morgan County | 94.1 | Relatively High |
| 21 | Grundy County | 94 | Relatively High |
| 22 | Iroquois County | 93.6 | Relatively High |
| 23 | Vermilion County | 93.2 | Relatively High |
| 24 | Macon County | 91.5 | Relatively High |
| 25 | Franklin County | 89.9 | Relatively High |
| 26 | Jackson County | 89.7 | Relatively High |
| 27 | Perry County | 87.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 28 | Williamson County | 86.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 29 | Macoupin County | 86.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 30 | Cass County | 84.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 31 | Livingston County | 83.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 32 | Shelby County | 82.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 33 | Christian County | 82 | Relatively Moderate |
| 34 | Pulaski County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 35 | Adams County | 81.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 36 | Ogle County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 37 | Stephenson County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 38 | Logan County | 77.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 39 | Fulton County | 76.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 40 | Boone County | 76.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 41 | Whiteside County | 76.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 42 | Randolph County | 75.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 43 | Knox County | 75.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 44 | Montgomery County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 45 | Jo Daviess County | 75.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 46 | Coles County | 74.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 47 | Marion County | 74.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 48 | McDonough County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 49 | Woodford County | 71.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 50 | De Witt County | 70.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 51 | Bureau County | 69.9 | Relatively Moderate |
| 52 | Douglas County | 69.8 | Relatively Moderate |
| 53 | Moultrie County | 69.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 54 | Saline County | 69.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 55 | Lee County | 68.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 56 | Mason County | 68.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 57 | Clinton County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 58 | Union County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 59 | Ford County | 67.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 60 | Hancock County | 67.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 61 | Johnson County | 64 | Relatively Low |
| 62 | Jefferson County | 63.7 | Relatively Low |
| 63 | Fayette County | 63.5 | Relatively Low |
| 64 | Henry County | 62.1 | Relatively Low |
| 65 | Pike County | 61.3 | Relatively Low |
| 66 | Schuyler County | 61.3 | Relatively Low |
| 67 | Piatt County | 60.1 | Relatively Low |
| 68 | Effingham County | 59.9 | Relatively Low |
| 69 | Washington County | 58.7 | Relatively Low |
| 70 | Marshall County | 57.3 | Relatively Low |
| 71 | Carroll County | 56.6 | Relatively Low |
| 72 | Menard County | 53.9 | Relatively Low |
| 73 | Jersey County | 53.7 | Relatively Low |
| 74 | Warren County | 53.5 | Relatively Low |
| 75 | Bond County | 52.6 | Relatively Low |
| 76 | Edgar County | 51.4 | Relatively Low |
| 77 | Greene County | 50.6 | Relatively Low |
| 78 | Massac County | 49.5 | Relatively Low |
| 79 | Monroe County | 49 | Relatively Low |
| 80 | Brown County | 48.2 | Relatively Low |
| 81 | Wayne County | 46.5 | Relatively Low |
| 82 | Clark County | 45.6 | Relatively Low |
| 83 | Clay County | 42.5 | Relatively Low |
| 84 | White County | 42.2 | Relatively Low |
| 85 | Cumberland County | 40.1 | Relatively Low |
| 86 | Richland County | 40 | Relatively Low |
| 87 | Alexander County | 36.8 | Relatively Low |
| 88 | Lawrence County | 36.1 | Relatively Low |
| 89 | Crawford County | 33.6 | Relatively Low |
| 90 | Mercer County | 33.4 | Relatively Low |
| 91 | Gallatin County | 32.6 | Relatively Low |
| 92 | Putnam County | 32.1 | Relatively Low |
| 93 | Hamilton County | 30.9 | Relatively Low |
| 94 | Scott County | 29.4 | Relatively Low |
| 95 | Wabash County | 25.6 | Relatively Low |
| 96 | Stark County | 24.9 | Relatively Low |
| 97 | Jasper County | 24.7 | Relatively Low |
| 98 | Henderson County | 24 | Relatively Low |
| 99 | Pope County | 22 | Very Low |
| 100 | Calhoun County | 20.8 | Very Low |
| 101 | Edwards County | 19.9 | Very Low |
| 102 | Hardin County | 19.3 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Cold Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Illinois:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Illinois?
Cook County, IL has the highest cold wave risk in Illinois, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 100 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Illinois are rated Very High for cold wave risk?
5 of 102 scored Illinois counties are rated "Very High" for cold wave risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes cold wave risk in Illinois?
Cold wave risk captures expected losses from extended periods of extreme cold, including wind chill. The northern Plains, Great Lakes, and interior New England see the most severe and frequent cold events. Cold extremes cause significant excess mortality, especially among unhoused populations, the elderly, and those with inadequate heating or insulation. Cold and wind chill events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.