Natural hazards · East Nelson

East Nelson, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in East Nelson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is East Nelson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in East Nelson to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding49%Cold waves12%Drought12%Earthquakes8%Tornadoes7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What East Nelson faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

12% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 East Nelson flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Moultrie County.

Disasters that hit East Nelson

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Moultrie County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching East Nelson itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into East NelsonDeclared for Moultrie County only

Moultrie County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around East Nelson

East Nelson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Nelsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Jonathan Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Whitleymostly inland floodingHigh

North Okawmostly inland floodingHigh

Sullivanmostly inland floodingHigh

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