Natural hazards · Christopher

Christopher, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Christopher comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Christopher?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Christopher to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes39%Inland flooding22%Cold waves17%Tornadoes9%Heat waves6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Christopher faces

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

Earthquakes

39% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Christopher flood?

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

1paid claims since 1979

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Christopher

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChristopherDeclared for Franklin County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

Franklin County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Christopher covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Christopher’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Christopher. 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 Christopher total about $2.4M 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.