DuPage County Storm Damage: What It Means for Your Home's Value and Property Taxes

Rain-slicked residential street in a DuPage County-style neighborhood after a summer storm

Last updated: August 2026

The short version

On August 18, 2026, Governor Pritzker issued a state disaster proclamation covering 15 Illinois counties — including DuPage — following weeks of record-breaking storms, flash flooding, and tornadoes. If your home took storm damage this year, you may be eligible for a property tax reassessment, and depending on the extent of the damage, it could also affect your home's market value if you're planning to sell. Here's what DuPage County homeowners need to know.

What the disaster declaration actually covers

The proclamation frees up state resources for public infrastructure recovery, but it also opened a specific door for individual homeowners: under Illinois law (35 ILCS 200/13-5), property owners in a county declared a disaster area by the Governor or the President can apply to have their property reassessed if it sustained substantial damage.

In practice, this means:

  • If your home was damaged by the storms this summer, you don't have to wait until your regular assessment cycle to get your assessed value — and your tax bill — adjusted downward.
  • The application is form PTAX-245, filed through the DuPage County Supervisor of Assessments office.
  • DuPage County's Supervisor of Assessments can be reached at (630) 407-5858 for eligibility questions and the current filing deadline.
This page explains the general process. For your specific filing deadline and documentation requirements, contact the Supervisor of Assessments office directly — timelines can be tight after a disaster declaration.

Mike Berg's analysis: how storm damage actually affects your home's value

I spent 14 years as a certified appraiser before I became a full-time agent, and storm and flood damage is one of the trickiest things to value correctly — because the type of damage matters as much as the amount.

A few things I've seen play out in these suburbs:

  • Cosmetic damage (siding, gutters, a damaged fence) rarely moves an appraisal much once it's repaired and documented.
  • Basement and foundation water intrusion is the one buyers and appraisers both scrutinize hardest — even after repairs, it often has to be disclosed, and some buyers will factor in future risk even when the current fix is solid.
  • A documented history of flooding — even without a FEMA flood zone designation — can affect insurability and financing, which affects your buyer pool more than it affects the appraised number itself.
  • Repaired-and-documented beats repaired-and-undocumented. Keep every receipt, every contractor report, every insurance claim record. If you sell in the next few years, that paper trail is what lets a buyer's lender and appraiser move past the damage instead of discounting for the unknown.

If you're not sure whether storm damage on your property is something to disclose, address before listing, or just monitor, that's exactly the kind of question worth a quick conversation before you make a decision either way.

Which areas tend to see this most

Flooding risk in DuPage County isn't evenly distributed, and it isn't limited to homes in a mapped floodplain. Elmhurst, in particular, has a long-documented history with Salt Creek overflow and localized flash flooding in older neighborhoods with aging stormwater infrastructure — the city has an active, multi-decade flood mitigation program because of it. But this summer's storms caused flash flooding and damage more broadly across the western suburbs, including Naperville, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Bolingbrook, Darien, and Westmont.

If you're not sure whether your specific block has a flooding history, that's public record through the county and worth checking before you buy — or before you list.

Check your specific address — better tools than FEMA alone

FEMA's flood maps are the regulatory standard, but they're updated infrequently and are widely understood to undercount real flood risk. A few tools give a more current picture, address by address:

  • First Street Foundation's Flood Factor — a free, address-level flood risk score built from current precipitation modeling rather than historical zones alone. It's increasingly used alongside FEMA maps by major listing sites. Worth checking for any DuPage property you own or are considering.
  • NOAA National Water Prediction Service — real-time river and creek gauge data with forecasted flood stages, including for Salt Creek, Addison Creek, and the East Branch DuPage River. Useful for a live read during an active storm, not just a historical risk score.
  • DuPage County Flood Information — the county's own preparedness resources and flood plain guidance.
  • Village stormwater programs — several DuPage municipalities publish their own flood-prone area data and mitigation programs, including Downers Grove's Localized Poor Drainage Area (LPDA) designations and cost-share program, and Hinsdale's yard-flooding guidance. If you're buying or selling in a specific town, its village website's stormwater or public works page is worth a quick check.

If you're thinking about selling a storm-affected home

  • Disclosure matters more than perfection. Illinois requires disclosure of known material defects. A well-documented repair with a clear paper trail is far easier for a buyer to move past than an unexplained gap in a home's history.
  • Timing the market vs. timing the repair is a real trade-off — sometimes it makes sense to complete repairs before listing, sometimes a documented "as-is" sale with a repair credit is the better move. It depends on the damage, the timeline, and what's happening in your specific market.
  • A pre-listing CMA vs. appraisal can help you understand how a specific issue is likely to be treated by both a buyer's agent and a buyer's lender before you commit to a listing strategy. See CMA vs. Appraisal.

Frequently asked questions

Does storm damage automatically lower my home's assessed value?

Not automatically — you have to apply for reassessment through the Supervisor of Assessments office using form PTAX-245. The disaster declaration makes you eligible to apply; it doesn't change your assessment on its own.

Is flood damage covered by my homeowners insurance?

Usually not. Standard homeowners policies typically exclude damage from rising water (flooding), even though they often cover wind-driven rain damage. Flood insurance is a separate policy. Check with your insurance agent about your specific coverage.

Does storm damage have to be disclosed when I sell my home?

Illinois requires disclosure of known material defects, which can include a history of flooding or water damage, even after repairs. A licensed attorney can advise on your specific disclosure obligations.

How long do I have to file for a property tax reassessment after a disaster declaration?

Deadlines vary and are set at the time of the declaration — contact the DuPage County Supervisor of Assessments office at (630) 407-5858 for the current filing window.

Have questions about your specific situation?

Whether you're weighing a repair-then-sell timeline, trying to understand how storm damage might affect your home's value, or just want a second opinion before you talk to your insurance adjuster, I'm happy to help you think it through — no obligation.

Call/Text (773) 544-9785

Mike Berg — Berg Properties | Former licensed Certified Appraiser with 14 years in these suburbs

  • Office of the Governor of Illinois, disaster proclamation, August 18, 2026
  • DuPage County Supervisor of Assessments, Forms and Documents
  • 35 ILCS 200/13-5, Illinois Property Tax Code