Photo: edward P. steinburg desnged · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Waukegan Township
Waukegan Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Waukegan Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1979.
What Waukegan 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.
Does Waukegan Township flood? Sometimes: 39 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Waukegan Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $5K
- The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $224K
Waukegan 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: Lake County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Waukegan Township
Disasters that paid out in Waukegan Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Waukegan Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding479 households applied for aid$456K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding8 households applied for aid$10K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
Lake County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Waukegan Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Waukegan Township archive →Waukegan Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Chicago | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 79 |
| Shields Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 102 |
| Park City | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Benton Township | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 20 |
| Beach Park | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Waukegan | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Warren Township | Aless damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 99 |
| Gurnee | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 86 |
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 Waukegan 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 Waukegan Township
Does Waukegan Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 39 claims in Waukegan Township since 1979, $1.3M in all. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).
Is Waukegan 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 Lake County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Waukegan Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Waukegan 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 Waukegan Township?
By FEMA money that reached Waukegan Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): 479 households applied for aid, $456K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $5K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Waukegan Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Waukegan 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.