Natural hazards · Clear Lake

Clear Lake, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clear Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clear Lake?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clear Lake to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes19%Cold waves16%Heat waves8%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Clear Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 38 years in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

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

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 Clear Lake flood?

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

30paid claims since 1979

$539Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 5 claims, $192K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sangamon County.

Disasters that hit Clear Lake

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Clear LakeDeclared for Sangamon County only

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$15K to the Township of Clear Lake for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Township of Clear Lake for repairs

2006

Tornadoes and Severe Storms

$42K to the Township of Clear Lake for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$22K to the Township of Clear Lake for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$4K to the Township of Clear Lake for repairs

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

Around Clear Lake

Clear Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mechanicsburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Capitalmostly inland floodingModerate

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Clear Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Williamsmostly inland floodingLow

Springfieldmostly 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. Clear Lake covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

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