Storms, floods and disasters in Cook
Cook isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cook has 423 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1978.
What Cook 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.
Does Cook flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cook, from FEMA’s records.
- The June Midwest Flooding1 claim · $26K
Cook isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Louis County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cook
Disasters that paid out in Cook itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Cook), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storms and Flooding40 households applied for aid$372K aid approved$88K to the City of Cook for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
- 1999Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding$17K to the City of Cook for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
St. Louis County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in St. Louis County, 2025–2025.
Old photos of Cook after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cook archive →Cook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Township | — | 285 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Owens Township | — | 378 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 Cook 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 Cook
Does Cook flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Cook since 1978, $213K in all. The most claims came from June Midwest Flooding (1).
Is Cook 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 St. Louis County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Cook?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cook’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 Cook?
By FEMA money that reached Cook, Severe Storms and Flooding (2024): 40 households applied for aid, $372K approved, and $88K to the City of Cook for repairs. By flood claims, June Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $26K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cook.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cook’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.