Natural hazards · Bell Plain

Bell Plain, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bell Plain comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2008. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Bell Plain?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bell Plain to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves15%Drought13%Strong wind11%Tornadoes10%Earthquakes5%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Bell Plain faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Bell Plain flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bell Plain, from FEMA’s records.

2paid claims since 2008

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bell Plain isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Marshall County.

Disasters that hit Bell Plain

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bell Plain itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Bell Plain.

Brought FEMA money into Bell PlainDeclared for Marshall County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$18K to the Township of Bell Plain for repairs

2006

Snow

$5K to the Township of Bell Plain for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$6K to the Township of Bell Plain for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$6K to the Township of Bell Plain for repairs

Marshall County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Bell Plain

Bell Plain and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Linnmostly inland floodingHigh

Richlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Bell Plainmostly inland floodingLow

Benningtonmostly inland floodingLow

Robertsmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bell Plain covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bell Plain’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bell Plain. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bell Plain total about $1.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.