Natural hazards · Canton

Canton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canton to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding40%Cold waves19%Tornadoes14%Heat waves8%Hail6%Strong wind6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Canton faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Canton flood?

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

25paid claims since 1979

$165Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $9K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $28K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fulton County.

Disasters that hit Canton

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CantonDeclared for Fulton County only

2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Floodng

62 households applied for aid $245K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $134K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$7K to the Township of Canton for repairs

2006

Snow

$6K to the Township of Canton for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$5K to the Township of Canton for repairs

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

Around Canton

Canton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Buckheartmostly inland floodingModerate

Cantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Trivolimostly inland floodingLow

Farmingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Orionmostly inland floodingLow

Joshuamostly inland floodingLow

Norrismostly 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. Canton covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Canton. 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 Canton total about $4.3M 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.