Kendall County, IL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Kendall County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Kendall County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, tornado, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 175% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (10th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Kendall County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1973, covering 6 disaster types including snowstorm (4), flood (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2007 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001 | Snowstorm | Illinois Winter Snow Storms |
| 1999 | Snowstorm | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 |
| 1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 1990 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 total declarations since 1973.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.7 | 16 | 0 | $300K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.5 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 61.9 | 8 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | 17 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 9.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.4 | 40 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 50.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 41.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41.2 | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 36.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Kendall County ranks in the 10th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 10th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 7th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 45th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 73rd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 3rd | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 4th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 4th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 20.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 75 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 20 in 2016–20 vs 55 in 2021–25 (+175% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Kendall County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Kendall County, Illinois are cold wave, tornado, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Kendall County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Kendall County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is snowstorm (4 declarations).
Has Kendall County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Kendall County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Kendall County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, DuPage County, IL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Grundy County, IL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Kendall County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Kendall County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Kendall County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Kendall County's composite score of 80 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 80% of US counties.