Natural hazards · Cairo

Cairo, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cairo comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 51 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Cairo?

90
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cairo to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes72%Inland flooding11%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Cairo faces

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

Earthquakes

72% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Cairo flood?

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

51paid claims since 1979
$183Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 18 claims, $73K
  • March storm: 5 claims, $18K
  • Early winter storms: 1 claim, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Cairo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Alexander County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Cairo

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CairoDeclared for Alexander County only
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$156K to the City of Cairo for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

702 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $488K to the City of Cairo for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm

$57K to the City of Cairo for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

132 households applied for aid $161K aid approved
2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$16K to the City of Cairo for repairs
Alexander County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
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. Cairo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cairo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cairo. 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 Cairo total about $1.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01