Natural hazards · Chestnut

Chestnut, IL natural hazards

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

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chestnut to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding37%Strong wind15%Cold waves12%Drought11%Tornadoes10%Hail6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Chestnut faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Chestnut flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Knox County.

Disasters that hit Chestnut

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChestnutDeclared for Knox County only

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$983 to the Township of Chestnut for repairs

Knox County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Chestnut

Chestnut and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestnutmostly inland floodingHigh

Orangemostly inland floodingHigh

Maquonmostly inland floodingHigh

Indian Pointmostly inland floodingModerate

Ellisvillemostly 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. Chestnut 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 Chestnut’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Chestnut. 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.