Natural hazards · Gardner

Gardner, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gardner comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2022. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gardner?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gardner to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes18%Cold waves15%Heat waves8%Drought7%Earthquakes7%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Gardner faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 39 years in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Gardner flood?

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

1paid claims since 2022

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20222026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sangamon County.

Disasters that hit Gardner

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GardnerDeclared for Sangamon County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Gardner for repairs

Sangamon County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Gardner

Gardner and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Capitalmostly inland floodingModerate

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Cartwrightmostly inland floodingLow

Fancy Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Gardnermostly inland floodingLow

Springfieldmostly 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. Gardner covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gardner’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Gardner. 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 Gardner total about $2.3M 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.