Natural hazards · Florence

Florence, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Florence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2008. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Florence?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Florence to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes14%Cold waves10%Hail8%Strong wind5%Drought5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Florence faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Florence flood?

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

5paid claims since 2008

$46Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stephenson County.

Disasters that hit Florence

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FlorenceDeclared for Stephenson County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Township of Florence for repairs

Stephenson County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Florence

Florence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Freeportmostly inland floodingHigh

Florencemostly inland floodingLow

Harlemmostly inland floodingLow

Silver Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Loranmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Florence covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Florence’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Florence. 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 Florence total about $2.2M 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.