Natural hazards · Big Spring

Big Spring, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Spring comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Big Spring?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Spring to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves24%Drought15%Earthquakes9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Big Spring faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

15% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Big Spring flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Big Spring.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

Disasters that hit Big Spring

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Big SpringDeclared for Shelby County only

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Township of Big Spring for repairs

Shelby County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often tornadoes and winter storms.

Around Big Spring

Big Spring and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ash Grovemostly inland floodingHigh

Neogamostly inland floodingHigh

Big Springmostly inland floodingHigh

Sigelmostly inland floodingHigh

Prairiemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Big Spring is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.