Natural hazards · Emma

Emma, IL natural hazards

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

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Emma to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes39%Inland flooding31%Tornadoes10%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Emma faces

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

Earthquakes

39% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Emma flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: White County.

Disasters that hit Emma

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmmaDeclared for White County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

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

Around Emma

Emma and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Havenmostly inland floodingVery high

Blackmostly inland floodingVery high

Lynnmostly inland floodingVery high

Hawthornemostly earthquakesHigh

Emmamostly earthquakesHigh

Pointmostly inland floodingHigh

Heralds Prairiemostly earthquakesHigh

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