Natural hazards · Cotton Hill

Cotton Hill, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cotton Hill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cotton Hill?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cotton Hill to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes16%Cold waves11%Heat waves6%Earthquakes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Cotton Hill 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 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% 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 Cotton Hill flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cotton Hill 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 Cotton Hill

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Cotton HillDeclared for Sangamon County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Cotton Hill for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$11K to the Township of Cotton Hill for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$7K to the Township of Cotton Hill for repairs

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

Around Cotton Hill

Cotton Hill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pawneemostly inland floodingHigh

Rochestermostly inland floodingModerate

Cotton Hillmostly inland floodingModerate

Buckhartmostly inland floodingModerate

South Forkmostly inland floodingModerate

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Capitalmostly 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. Cotton Hill covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cotton Hill’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Cotton Hill. 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 Cotton Hill total about $3.9M 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.