Hazard Plain Automated baseline

DeKalb County, IL

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
17037
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Expired on 2026-03-08. Plan: DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402), approved 2021-03-09.

Update: FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisions.

Since the plan was approved on 2021-03-09: no new hazard declaration and 186 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($24,320,665 a year), Cold Wave ($11,580,371) and Tornado ($6,875,541).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Expired on 2026-03-08
Plan:
DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)
Approved:
2021-03-09
Days since expiry:
206
Update underway:
FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisions

Until a new plan is approved, FEMA mitigation project grants (HMGP, FMA) need a FEMA exception (44 CFR 201.6(a)(3)).

What changed since your last plan (approved 2021-03-09)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
186 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 3, SRL 7 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 33
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county: 16 rows, in the section "Plan clock: Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county" on the following pages.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Plan clock

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
DeKalb CountyCountyExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Cortland townTownExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
DeKalb cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2022-02-10
Genoa cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Hinckley villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisions
Kingston villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Kirkland villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisions
Lee villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206this jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Malta villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206
Maple Park villageVillageApproved, expires 2029-06-25Kane County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109698)2024-06-262029-06-25999FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2025-05-21
Sandwich cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisions
Shabbona villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206
Somonauk villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206this jurisdiction approved 2023-06-09
Sycamore cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Waterman villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206this jurisdiction approved 2019-03-09
Northern Illinois UniversityCollege/UniversityExpired on 2026-03-08DeKalb County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106402)2021-03-092026-03-08-206FEMA tracker shows a plan awaiting revisionsthis jurisdiction approved 2024-05-08

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$23,810,567$360,144$149,954$24,320,66547
2Cold WaveRelatively HighRelatively High$77$4,507$11,575,786$11,580,37130Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
3TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$3,238,668$4,534$3,632,339$6,875,54123
4Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$235,662$16,838$1,120,105$1,372,605295Includes 17 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
5EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$1,013,282n/a$295,098$1,308,380Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
6DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$751,568n/a$751,56816
7Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$183$5$599,725$599,9139
8LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$45,445n/a$207,062$252,5074
9HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$101,295$52,826$3,999$158,12177
10Ice StormRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$102,757n/a$43,842$146,5995
11Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$3,210$2,445$30,821$36,47574Includes 1 Sleet record (outside NRI's Winter Weather definition).
12HurricaneVery LowVery Low$1,313$4,871under $1$6,1840No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$1,960$9$234$2,2030No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$97n/a$207$3040No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 8 (Relatively Low, 75.9); tract 22 (Relatively Low, 74.9); tract 14 (Relatively Low, 73.3)
Hurricanetract 18 (Very Low, 37.0); tract 17 (Very Low, 30.9); tract 2 (Very Low, 30.4)
Landslidetract 18 (Very Low, 76.1); tract 1 (Very Low, 73.7); tract 2 (Very Low, 72.0)
Tornadotract 8 (Very High, 97.6); tract 14 (Very High, 94.0); tract 6 (Relatively High, 93.0)
Wildfiretract 8 (Very Low, 51.8); tract 1 (Very Low, 50.1); tract 14 (Very Low, 45.5)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 8 is Census Tract 8). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill29 records, 1996 to 2026 (29 zone-level)1 day to 4 days (median 2 days); 22 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 2024-01-14 to 2024-01-17, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2004 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)16 records, 2005 to 2025 (16 zone-level)8 days to 240 days (median 28.5 days); 6 with a recorded value240 days (about 7.9 months), 2005-06-15 to 2006-02-09, a run of 9 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)89 records, 1970 to 20260.75 in to 2.75 in (median 1 in); 89 with a recorded value2.75 in hail, 2023-04-04Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Sycamore city (12 records), DeKalb city (8 records), Waterman village (7 records), Malta village (5 records), Somonauk village (5 records), Sandwich city (4 records), Shabbona village (4 records), Cortland town (3 records), Genoa city (2 records), Kirkland village (2 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)9 records, 2012 to 2026 (9 zone-level)1 day to 4 days (median 2 days); 9 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 2012-07-04 to 2012-07-07, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)5 records, 2007 to 2023 (5 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2007-12-01, $5,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone ILZ011Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)47 records, 1996 to 2026 (4 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2008-09-14, $3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Cortland town (3 records), DeKalb city (3 records), Sycamore city (3 records), Genoa city (2 records), Sandwich city (2 records), Waterman village (2 records), Kingston village (1 record), Kirkland village (1 record), Malta village (1 record), Shabbona village (1 record); and 1 more jurisdiction (see the Excel file). Zone-level records (4) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)4 records, 2001 to 2018Lightning, 2018-08-28, $20,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Sandwich city (2 records), Sycamore city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)19 records, 1996 to 2026 (19 zone-level)40 kt (46 mph) to 63 kt (72 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 18 with a recorded value63 kt (72 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2026-04-27; NWS zone ILZ011High Wind, 2010-10-26, $50,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)318 records, 1957 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 283 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2014-05-20Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Sycamore city (35 records), Sandwich city (29 records), Genoa city (18 records), Cortland town (15 records), DeKalb city (15 records), Kirkland village (15 records), Waterman village (15 records), Shabbona village (13 records), Hinckley village (12 records), Malta village (11 records); and 4 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)29 records, 1959 to 2026F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF0); 24 with a recorded valueEF3 tornado, 2015-04-09, 4.83 mi within this county, 700 yd wide, $8,000,000 property; $0 crops (2015 dollars), 2 direct deaths, 11 direct injuriesEvent records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Kirkland village (3 records), Hinckley village (2 records), Maple Park village (2 records), Waterman village (2 records), Lee village (1 record), Malta village (1 record), Sandwich city (1 record), Shabbona village (1 record), Somonauk village (1 record), Sycamore city (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)74 records, 1997 to 2026 (74 zone-level)No damage reported in 74 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

Where a hazard names more than 10 jurisdictions, the table lists the 10 with the most records; every one is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-c Extent".

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 12 declarations covering 9 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2020-03-262020-01-20DR-4489-ILMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$6,584,018.85in the 12 months before plan approval
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3435-ILEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approvalsame incident as DR-4489
2013-05-102013-04-16DR-4116-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind$39,385.48FEMA's declaration record does not list Public Assistance, but FEMA's PA project summaries show obligations for this county
2011-03-172011-01-31DR-1960-ILMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weather$430,857.50
2008-10-032008-09-13DR-1800-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$5,553.64FEMA's declaration record does not list Public Assistance, but FEMA's PA project summaries show obligations for this county
2007-09-252007-08-20DR-1729-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$539,432.04
2006-12-292006-11-30EM-3269-ILEmergencySnowWinter Weather$262,676.66
2005-09-072005-08-29EM-3230-ILEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
1996-07-251996-07-17DR-1129-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1979-01-161979-01-16EM-3068-ILEmergencyBlizzards & SnowstormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1974-06-101974-06-10DR-438-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1973-04-261973-04-26DR-373-ILMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

School districts and special districts in this county: $1,380,838.40 (included in the county total above). Public Assistance matched by applicant name to the school districts and special districts FEMA lists as plan participants in this county. They have no row of their own in the jurisdiction table, so their total is listed here. These dollars are already included in the county PA column of the declarations table (the FEMA record places each applicant in this county), so this line is not added to it.

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1961-05-271961-05-27DR-115-ILMajor disasterFloods & TornadoesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Tornado
1957-06-221957-06-22DR-78-ILMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Public Assistance filed under this county for declarations that do not list it: 3 rows, $12,741.42

Sources: 2, 3

FEMA numberDeclaredTitleApplicantPA obligatedfederal share obligated, nominal dollars
EM-3161-IL2001-01-17Illinois Winter Snow StormsNORTHVILLE TWP. ROAD DISTRICT$5,026.96
EM-3161-IL2001-01-17Illinois Winter Snow StormsBIG ROCK, TOWNSHIP OF$5,566.50
EM-3134-IL1999-01-08Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99BIG ROCK TOWNSHIP HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT$2,147.96

FEMA's Public Assistance summaries file these applicants under this county, but FEMA's declaration rows for these disasters do not designate it (an electric cooperative or district serving several counties, for example). Not in any declaration row above and not counted.

Public Assistance not placed in any Illinois county: 1 row, $797,909.42; listed on the Illinois state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave3012212001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought16705001996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail8917317001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave9707001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm5101001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding47838601996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning4000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind337992184101955 to 2026-06-30Includes 17 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records.
Tornado291236001950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather7423623301996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Sleet record.

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-04-27High Wind63 kt (72 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2026 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ILZ011 (DE KALB), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2024-01-14Extreme Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ILZ011 (DE KALB), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2023-04-04Hail2.75 in$0 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0SANDWICHnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2018-08-28Lightning$20,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)0, 0SANDWICHB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2015-04-09TornadoEF3, 4.83 mi within this county, 700 yd wide$8,000,000 property; $0 crops (2015 dollars)2, 11FAIRDALEdeaths or injuries recorded
2014-05-20Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust$500,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)0, 0MALTA to CORTLANDB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2012-07-04Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2012 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ILZ011 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2008-09-14Flash Flood$3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0FAIRDALE to ROLLOB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2008-09-13Flood$15,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 3NEW LEBANON to MILANdeaths or injuries recorded
2007-12-01Ice Storm$5,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ILZ011 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2005-06-15Droughtdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone ILZ011 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
1998-08-24Thunderstorm Wind50 kt (58 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not reported0, 12KIRKLAND to KINGSTONdeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (640 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

FEMA's declaration data list no tribal or special-area declarations for this state.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave5.89event-days per yearabout 5.89 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)1122005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought8.31event-days per yearabout 8.31 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)2242000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00139annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.139%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail4.57events per yearabout 4.57 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)173.8 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave3.42event-days per yearabout 3.42 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)552005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.00883events per yearabout 1 in 113 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.621event-days per yearabout 0.621 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)421946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding1.14event-days per yearabout 1.14 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 19 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (63.3%)321996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.0863events per year (modeled)about 1 in 12 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning42days per year with a strikeabout 42 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind6.54events per yearabout 6.54 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)2491986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.527events per yearabout 0.53 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0000303annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00303%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather15event-days per yearabout 15 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 26 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (86.7%)2852005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202536301.2
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025237307.9
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202529300.967
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20254300.133
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202518300.6
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20253300.1

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave23 of 2381.194.499.1Very High 9, Relatively High 14
Drought23 of 2367.687.797.4Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 10, Very Low 7
Earthquake23 of 2340.056.975.9Relatively Low 22, Very Low 1
Hail23 of 2327.344.667.8Relatively Low 19, Very Low 4
Heat Wave23 of 2312.433.462.8Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 20, Very Low 2
Hurricane23 of 2313.722.637.0Very Low 23
Ice Storm23 of 2337.752.576.2Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 21
Inland Flooding23 of 237.367.896.3Very High 1, Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 9, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 1
Landslide23 of 2315.557.276.1Very Low 23
Lightning23 of 2324.946.573.4Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 17
Strong Wind23 of 2357.581.893.8Relatively High 10, Relatively Moderate 13
Tornado23 of 2365.580.897.6Very High 2, Relatively High 16, Relatively Moderate 5
Wildfire23 of 2322.337.751.8Very Low 23
Winter Weather23 of 2326.638.155.5Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 21

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
DeKalb CountyCountyExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 3, SRL 4; any 15$116,188.580 total; 0 since its planIncludes $111,776.20 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4489-IL).
Cortland townTownExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$40,446.1121 total; 3 since its plan
DeKalb cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 3; any 8$383,271.3626 total; 19 since its planIncludes $56,467.32 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4489-IL).
Genoa cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$49,101.1722 total; 10 since its plan
Hinckley villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$4,544.0414 total; 6 since its plan
Kingston villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded5 total; 3 since its plan
Kirkland villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$9,796.3121 total; 5 since its plan
Lee villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded2 total; 2 since its plan
Malta villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded18 total; 4 since its plan
Maple Park villageVillageApproved, expires 2029-06-25FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded5 total; 3 since its plan
Sandwich cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$35,701.7438 total; 9 since its planIncludes $7,135.53 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4489-IL).
Shabbona villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$3,126.9819 total; 2 since its plan
Somonauk villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$13,012.0516 total; 5 since its plan
Sycamore cityCityExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 9$90,699.2552 total; 18 since its plan
Waterman villageVillageExpired on 2026-03-08FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded26 total; 7 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2021-03-09county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$77$4,507$11,575,786under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$292,094,305n/an/a$751,568n/a0.257% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$51,126,313,815n/a100,420$1,013,282n/a$295,0980.00198%
Hail$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$101,295$52,826$3,9990.000345%$0
Heat Wave$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$183$5$599,725under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$1,313$4,871under $1under 0.0001%
Ice Storm$29,378,510,595n/a100,321$102,757n/a$43,8420.00035%$0
Inland Flooding$29,380,114,154$24,097,3561,880$23,810,567$360,144$149,954n/a (see note)$0NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$71,127,786n/a201$97n/a$2070.000136%
Lightning$29,387,863,413n/a100,385$45,445n/a$207,0620.000155%
Strong Wind$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$235,662$16,838$1,120,1050.000802%$0$0
Tornado$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$3,238,668$4,534$3,632,3390.011%$0
Wildfire$1,563,403,834$26,247,0555,705$1,960$9$2340.000125%
Winter Weather$29,387,863,413$494,739,891100,385$3,210$2,445$30,821under 0.0001%$0

Totals since 2021-03-09 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 132 county-coded records, 132 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 54 zone-level records, 54 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population100,385
Building value (total, not at risk)$29,387,863,413
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$494,739,891
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$29,752,266
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$17,659,169
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)3Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)7
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition29Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition5

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total3729533110
of which: De Kalb city0361812
of which: Hinckley village0010101
of which: Sycamore city0091904
of which: De Kalb County (unincorporated area)341331503
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0050500

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
DeKalb County170808341331503
Cortland town1701810000000
DeKalb city1701820361812
Genoa city1701830000000
Hinckley village1701840010101
Kingston village1701850000000
Kirkland village1701860000000
Lee village1710350000000
Malta village1701870000000
Maple Park village1710180000000
Sandwich city1701880000000
Shabbona village1701890000000
Somonauk village1701900000000
Sycamore city1701910091904
Waterman village1708640000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential362142516
2 to 4 unit residential0010101
other residential0000000
non-residential0171703
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 1 property is FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 27 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). DeKalb County, IL: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 17037). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/il/17037/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org