Natural hazards · Forest

Forest, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Forest?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding34%Cold waves20%Tornadoes12%Drought10%Strong wind8%Heat waves5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Forest faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Forest flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$13Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Mason County.

Disasters that hit Forest

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Mason County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Forest itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into ForestDeclared for Mason County only

Mason County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Forest

Forest and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Forest Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Manitomostly inland floodingModerate

Quivermostly inland floodingModerate

Shermanmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Forest covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Forest’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Forest. 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 Forest total about $1.9M 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.