Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate 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 Chester?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding34%Drought17%Cold waves15%Strong wind10%Tornadoes10%Earthquakes6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

17% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Chester flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Logan County.

Disasters that hit Chester

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Logan County only

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$9K to the Township of Chester for repairs

Logan County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingModerate

Broadwellmostly inland floodingModerate

Mount Pulaskimostly inland floodingModerate

Aetnamostly inland floodingModerate

East Lincolnmostly 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. Chester 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 Chester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Chester. 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.