Natural hazards · Fairfield

Fairfield, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfield comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1992. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairfield?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes39%Inland flooding25%Heat waves17%Tornadoes9%Cold waves5%Everything else6%

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.

Earthquakes

39% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

17% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Fairfield flood?

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

9paid claims since 1992

$68Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $19K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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: Wayne County.

Disasters that hit Fairfield

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfieldDeclared for Wayne County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

7 households applied for aid $36K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$17K to the City of Fairfield for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$124K to the City of Fairfield for repairs

Wayne County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often tornadoes and severe storms.

Around Fairfield

Fairfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Big Moundmostly inland floodingHigh

Lamardmostly inland floodingHigh

Fairfieldmostly 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. Fairfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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 City of Fairfield. 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 Fairfield total about $2.7M 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.