Natural hazards · Dawson

Dawson, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dawson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dawson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dawson to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding34%Cold waves26%Drought20%Tornadoes9%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Dawson 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 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

20% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Dawson flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: McLean County.

Disasters that hit Dawson

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DawsonDeclared for McLean County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Township of Dawson for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$1K to the Township of Dawson for repairs

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

Around Dawson

Dawson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Blue Moundmostly inland floodingHigh

Old Townmostly inland floodingModerate

Empiremostly inland floodingModerate

Dawsonmostly inland floodingModerate

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