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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Joliet · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Joliet

Joliet isn’t graded for hazard risk: Joliet has 613 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 8 declared for Carbon County
By hazard

What Joliet 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

87%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Wildfire

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes Landslides top 1% Tornadoes Strong wind Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 10% of Joliet’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 Joliet flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Joliet. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Carbon County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Joliet

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

  1. 2022Severe Storm and Flooding13 households applied for aid$17K aid approved$7K to the Town of Joliet for repairs
  2. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding102 households applied for aid$387K aid approved$20K to the Town of Joliet for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in JolietCarbon County only

Carbon County has had 8 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.

Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Carbon County, 2000–2021.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Joliet archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Joliet 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Joliet

Is Joliet 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 Carbon County, 6% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Joliet?

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

By FEMA money that reached Joliet, Severe Storms and Flooding (2011): 102 households applied for aid, $387K approved, and $20K to the Town of Joliet for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Joliet.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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