Natural hazards · Decatur

Decatur, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Decatur comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 110 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Decatur?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding44%Cold waves17%Earthquakes13%Tornadoes12%Heat waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Decatur faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 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 Decatur flood?

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

110paid claims since 1978

$892Kpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 3 claims, $47K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $7K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Macon County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Decatur

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DecaturDeclared for Macon County only

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$337K to the City of Decatur for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$1.1M to the City of Decatur for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$38K to the City of Decatur for repairs

Macon County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Decatur

Decatur and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Wheatlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Mount Zionmostly inland floodingHigh

Forsythmostly inland floodingModerate

Decaturmostly inland floodingModerate

Long Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Decaturmostly inland floodingModerate

Long Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Harristownmostly inland floodingLow

Oakleymostly inland floodingLow

Whitmoremostly 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. Decatur covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Decatur’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Decatur. 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 Decatur total about $20.3M 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.