Natural hazards · Fairfield

Fairfield, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low 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 Fairfield?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfield to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding46%Drought19%Tornadoes14%Cold waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Fairfield faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

19% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

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 Fairfield flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bureau County.

Disasters that hit Fairfield

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfieldDeclared for Bureau County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Fairfield for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Township of Fairfield for repairs

Bureau County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Fairfield

Fairfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Yorktownmostly inland floodingModerate

Albamostly inland floodingModerate

Tampicomostly inland floodingModerate

Prophetstownmostly inland floodingModerate

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Greenvillemostly inland floodingLow

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