Illinois strong wind risk
102 counties scored 5 rated Very High
Cook County has the highest strong wind risk in Illinois, scoring 99.6 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook County | 99.6 | Very High | 0 |
| 2 | DuPage County | 99.2 | Very High | 0 |
| 3 | Williamson County | 99.1 | Very High | 0 |
| 4 | Jackson County | 98.5 | Very High | 0 |
| 5 | Lake County | 98.3 | Very High | 0 |
| 6 | Winnebago County | 97.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Henry County | 96.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Knox County | 96 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Peoria County | 95.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Randolph County | 94.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Rock Island County | 94.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Jefferson County | 92.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Marion County | 92 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Macoupin County | 91 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Adams County | 90.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Macon County | 89.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 17 | Saline County | 88.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 88.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 19 | Logan County | 87.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 20 | Morgan County | 87.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 21 | Vermilion County | 87.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 22 | Union County | 86.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 23 | Sangamon County | 86.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 24 | Tazewell County | 85.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 25 | LaSalle County | 85.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 26 | McHenry County | 85.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 27 | Whiteside County | 85.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 28 | Stephenson County | 85.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 29 | Clinton County | 84.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 30 | Lee County | 84.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 31 | Kendall County | 84.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 32 | Champaign County | 84.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 33 | Montgomery County | 84.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 34 | Douglas County | 83.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | McLean County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Perry County | 81 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Pulaski County | 79.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | DeKalb County | 79.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Kane County | 77.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Fulton County | 76.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Ogle County | 76.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Washington County | 76.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 43 | Bureau County | 76.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Livingston County | 75.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 45 | Carroll County | 74.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Mason County | 73.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Kankakee County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | McDonough County | 72.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Monroe County | 69.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 50 | Massac County | 69.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 51 | Johnson County | 68.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 52 | Marshall County | 68.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 53 | Hancock County | 67.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 54 | Menard County | 67 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 55 | Gallatin County | 64 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 56 | Edgar County | 63.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 57 | White County | 63.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 58 | Grundy County | 63.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 59 | Cass County | 62.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 60 | Mercer County | 61.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 61 | Schuyler County | 61.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 62 | Madison County | 60.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 63 | Pike County | 60.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 64 | Moultrie County | 60.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 65 | Boone County | 59.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 66 | Jo Daviess County | 59 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 67 | Effingham County | 58.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 68 | Fayette County | 58.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 69 | Clay County | 58.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 70 | Christian County | 58.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 71 | Alexander County | 58 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 72 | Henderson County | 56.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 73 | Coles County | 56.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 74 | Hamilton County | 55.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 75 | Richland County | 54.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 76 | St. Clair County | 54 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 77 | Piatt County | 52.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 78 | Will County | 50.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Greene County | 49.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Edwards County | 47.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Stark County | 47.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | Ford County | 46.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 83 | Iroquois County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 84 | Warren County | 46.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 85 | De Witt County | 45 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 86 | Bond County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 87 | Lawrence County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 88 | Pope County | 44.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 89 | Putnam County | 42.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 90 | Shelby County | 42.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 91 | Cumberland County | 41 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 92 | Jersey County | 40.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 93 | Crawford County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 94 | Jasper County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 95 | Wayne County | 37.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 96 | Hardin County | 36.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 97 | Woodford County | 35.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 98 | Wabash County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 99 | Clark County | 30.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 100 | Brown County | 25 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 101 | Scott County | 22.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 102 | Calhoun County | 16.1 | Very Low | 0 |
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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Illinois:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in Illinois?
Cook County, IL has the highest strong wind risk in Illinois, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.6 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Illinois are rated Very High for strong wind risk?
5 of 102 scored Illinois counties are rated "Very High" for strong wind risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes strong wind risk in Illinois?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.