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Natural hazards · Charleston

Charleston, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Charleston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1996. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Charleston?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Charleston to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves12%Tornadoes12%Earthquakes11%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Charleston faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Charleston flood?

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

12paid claims since 1996
$185Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19962026

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. Charleston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Coles County.
Disasters that hit Charleston

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CharlestonDeclared for Coles County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$154K to the City of Charleston for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $65K aid approved $179K to the City of Charleston for repairs
Coles County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.
Around Charleston

Charleston and the towns around it

Charleston: High, mostly inland floodingHutton: High, mostly inland floodingMattoon: High, mostly inland floodingAshmore: High, mostly inland floodingPleasant Grove: High, mostly inland floodingSeven Hickory: High, mostly inland floodingMorgan: High, mostly inland floodingLafayette: High, mostly inland floodingUnion: High, mostly inland floodingParker: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMattoon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHumboldt: High, mostly inland floodingCharleston: Moderate, mostly inland flooding CharlestonCharlestonHuttonMattoon
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Mattoonmostly inland floodingHigh
Huttonmostly inland floodingHigh
Charlestonmostly inland floodingHigh
Charlestonmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Charleston covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Charleston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Charleston. 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 Charleston total about $4.8M 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
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