Natural hazards · Fulton

Fulton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fulton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fulton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fulton to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes18%Cold waves13%Strong wind7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Fulton faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Fulton flood?

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

4paid claims since 1979

$31Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Whiteside County.

Disasters that hit Fulton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FultonDeclared for Whiteside County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $570 aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$11K to the City of Fulton for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2001

Flooding

$7K to the City of Fulton for repairs

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

Around Fulton

Fulton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fultonmostly inland floodingModerate

Clintonmostly 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. Fulton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fulton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fulton. 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 Fulton total about $1.4M 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.