Natural hazards · Bruce

Bruce, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bruce comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1982. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bruce?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bruce to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding60%Cold waves25%Tornadoes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Bruce faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bruce flood?

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

7paid claims since 1982

$23Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $18K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: La Salle County.

Disasters that hit Bruce

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BruceDeclared for La Salle County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$5K to the Township of Bruce for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$2K to the Township of Bruce for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$4K to the Township of Bruce for repairs

La Salle County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Bruce

Bruce and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brucemostly inland floodingHigh

Eaglemostly inland floodingModerate

Streatormostly inland floodingModerate

Otter Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Farm Ridgemostly 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. Bruce covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bruce’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bruce. 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 Bruce total about $2.9M 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.