Natural hazards · Downs

Downs, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Downs 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 Downs?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Downs to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves34%Drought10%Tornadoes9%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Downs faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 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 13 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 Downs flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Downs 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 Downs

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DownsDeclared for McLean County only

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$5K to the Township of Downs for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$4K to the Township of Downs for repairs

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

Around Downs

Downs and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Downsmostly inland floodingModerate

Randolphmostly inland floodingModerate

Old Townmostly inland floodingModerate

Downsmostly inland floodingModerate

Empiremostly inland floodingModerate

Wilsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Bloomingtonmostly 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. Downs covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Downs’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Downs. 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 Downs total about $1.7M 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.