Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Blackberry Township than in 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blackberry Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #102 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2021.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Blackberry Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Blackberry Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 83% of the building damage FEMA expects in Blackberry Township, and Blackberry Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 14% (higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #102 of 768 in Illinois; lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Blackberry Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Illinois town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Blackberry Township has less expected damage per building than 87% of Illinois towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.0M a year in losses across Blackberry Township: $4.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Blackberry Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2021
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Blackberry Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Blackberry Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kane County.The storms Blackberry Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Kane County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Blackberry Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20211 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20261 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Kane County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Blackberry Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Blackberry Township archive →Blackberry Township and its neighbors
Blackberry Township is 4th of the 7 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Aurora | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Batavia Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Geneva Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Blackberry Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Kaneville Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Campton Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Sugar Grove Township | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Blackberry Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Blackberry Township
Is Blackberry Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blackberry Township has lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #102 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%) and tornadoes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Blackberry Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Blackberry Township since 2021, $43K in all, or 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Blackberry Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Kane County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Blackberry Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Blackberry Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Blackberry Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (83%), and Blackberry Township’s rate for it is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Blackberry Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Blackberry Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.