Will County, IL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Will County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Will County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, tornado, and inland flooding, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 187 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (24th 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. Will County has been designated in 19 declarations since 1967, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (5), flood (4), snowstorm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2007 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 total declarations since 1967.
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 | 56.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 97.9 | 63 | 1 | $2.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 90.3 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.2 | 33 | 0 | $30K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 26.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.6 | 95 | 0 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 50.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.9 | 7 | 3 | $26K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.4 | 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
Will County ranks in the 24th 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 | 24th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 21st | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 39th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 77th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 16th | 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 | 22nd | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 21st | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 11.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 187 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 95 in 2016–20 vs 92 in 2021–25 (-3% — relatively stable).
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 Will County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Will County, Illinois are cold wave, tornado, and inland flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Will County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Will County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (5 declarations).
Has Will County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Will County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Will County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Cook County, IL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Grundy County, IL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Will County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Will County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Will 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. Will County's composite score of 97 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 97% of US counties.