20150911 01 U S 66 McCook, Illinois (26051009222)

Photo: David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA · CC BY 2.0

–Not graded

Natural hazards in McCook · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in McCook

McCook isn’t graded for hazard risk: McCook has 268 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013.

Flood claims

paid since 2013 · $145K

Flooded more than once

properties

Disasters paid out here

of 21 declared for Cook County

By hazard

What McCook 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

80%of expected building damage

Below average · lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts

Smaller shares here

Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 12% of McCook’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does McCook flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2013

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in McCook, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year

20132014

20132026

paid claims since 2013

$145K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$72K

average claim

Homes that flooded again and again

FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

McCook isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cook County.

Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to McCook

Disasters that paid out in McCook itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of McCook), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

2024Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Floodng1 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$9K to the Village of McCook for repairs
2000Illinois Winter Snow Storms$6K to the Village of McCook for repairs
1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$7K to the Village of McCook for repairs

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in McCookCook County only

Cook County has had 21 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of McCook after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the McCook archive →

Next door

McCook and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

LyonsSummitHodgkinsMcCook

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
Hodgkins	A⁻less damage than 83%	river and rain flooding	2
Summit	Cmore damage than 68%	river and rain flooding	3
Lyons	Dmore damage than 86%	river and rain flooding	69

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what McCook faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises

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.

Questions about natural hazards in McCook

Does McCook flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in McCook since 2013, $145K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once.

Is McCook 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 Cook County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in McCook?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for McCook’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 McCook?

By FEMA money that reached McCook, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (2011): $9K to the Village of McCook for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McCook.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where McCook’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.

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