Photo: Keybdn at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in St. Charles Township as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Charles Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns, #300 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%), then tornadoes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 89 claims here since 1978.
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 St. Charles 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 St. Charles Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 86% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Charles Township, and St. Charles Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 11% (higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts).
B− #300 of 768 in Illinois; lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Charles Township’s residents live in 11 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, St. Charles Township has less expected damage per building than 61% of Illinois towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $25.5M a year in losses across St. Charles Township: $17.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Charles Township flood? Sometimes: 89 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Charles Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ike13 claims · $366K
- The Mid-spring storms7 claims · $142K
- Tropical Storm Erin1 claim · $38K
St. Charles 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 St. Charles Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Kane County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Charles Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200726 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Kane County
- 200813 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Kane County
- 19797 flood claims paidThe year of Blizzards and Snowstorms, declared for Kane County
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 St. Charles Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Charles Township archive →St. Charles Township and its neighbors
St. Charles Township is 8th of the 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Geneva Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| West Chicago | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Wayne Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Campton Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | — |
| St. Charles | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 44 |
| Campton Hills | B+less damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | — |
| St. Charles Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 89 |
| Elgin | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 115 |
| South Elgin | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 48 |
| Elgin Township | — | not graded yet | |
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 St. Charles 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 St. Charles Township
Is St. Charles Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Charles Township has lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #300 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%) and tornadoes (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Charles Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 89 claims in St. Charles Township since 1978, $1.7M in all, or 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (13).
Is St. Charles 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 St. Charles Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Charles 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 St. Charles Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 13 paid, $366K.
Is St. Charles Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (86%), and St. Charles Township’s rate for it is higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Charles Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Charles 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.