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Natural hazards · Elba

Elba, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elba comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Elba?

60
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elba to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding33%Strong wind16%Cold waves13%Drought11%Tornadoes10%Heat waves6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Elba faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Elba flood?

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

2paid claims since 2013
$37Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20132026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $37K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Elba isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Knox County.
Disasters that hit Elba

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElbaDeclared for Knox County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$12K to the Township of Elba for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Township of Elba for repairs
Knox County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Elba

Elba and the towns around it

Brimfield: Low, mostly inland floodingTruro: High, mostly inland floodingHaw Creek: High, mostly inland floodingSalem: High, mostly inland floodingJubilee: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbrook: Low, mostly inland floodingElmwood: Low, mostly inland floodingPersifer: High, mostly inland floodingVictoria: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland floodingMaquon: High, mostly inland floodingFarmington: Low, mostly inland floodingElba: High, mostly inland flooding ElbaBrimfieldTruroHaw CreekSalem
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Elbamostly inland floodingHigh
Truromostly inland floodingHigh
Haw Creekmostly inland floodingHigh
Salemmostly inland floodingHigh
Brimfieldmostly 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. Elba covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elba’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Elba. 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 Elba total about $1.4M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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