FEMA puts Brookfield Township’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookfield Township gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1985.
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 Brookfield 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
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 Brookfield Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in Brookfield Township, and Brookfield Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Brookfield Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $947K a year in losses across Brookfield Township: $722K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Brookfield Township flood? Sometimes: 21 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brookfield Township, from FEMA’s records: 59.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Mid-spring storms6 claims · $312K
- Hurricane Ike6 claims · $226K
Brookfield 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: La Salle County.The storms Brookfield Township remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for La Salle County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Brookfield Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20086 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for La Salle County
- 20136 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes, declared for La Salle County
- 19851 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for La Salle County
La Salle County has had 17 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 Brookfield Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brookfield Township archive →Brookfield Township and its neighbors
Brookfield Township is 4th of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manlius Township | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Seneca | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 21 |
| Marseilles | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Brookfield Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 21 |
| Allen Township | — | 407 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Grand Rapids Township | — | 179 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Brookfield 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.
- 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 Brookfield Township
Is Brookfield Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookfield Township has higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Brookfield Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 21 claims in Brookfield Township since 1985, $724K in all, or 59.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (6).
Is Brookfield 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 La Salle County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brookfield Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brookfield Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Brookfield Township?
By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 6 paid, $312K.
Is Brookfield Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and Brookfield Township’s rate for it is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brookfield Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brookfield 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.