Natural hazards · Eastern

Eastern, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Eastern comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Eastern?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Eastern to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes30%Inland flooding27%Cold waves16%Tornadoes9%Strong wind6%Heat waves5%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Eastern faces

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

Earthquakes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Eastern flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Eastern

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EasternDeclared for Franklin County only

2004

Record/Near Record Snow

$1K to the Township of Eastern for repairs

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

Around Eastern

Eastern and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bentonmostly earthquakesHigh

Easternmostly earthquakesHigh

Flanniganmostly earthquakesHigh

Cavemostly earthquakesHigh

Northernmostly earthquakesHigh

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. Eastern covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Eastern’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Eastern. 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 Eastern total about $3.2M 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.