Natural hazards · Gillespie

Gillespie, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gillespie comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gillespie?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gillespie to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes37%Inland flooding25%Cold waves11%Tornadoes8%Heat waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Gillespie faces

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

Earthquakes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times 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 Gillespie flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Gillespie.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Macoupin County.

Disasters that hit Gillespie

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GillespieDeclared for Macoupin County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Township of Gillespie for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$43K to the Township of Gillespie for repairs

Macoupin County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Gillespie

Gillespie and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gillespiemostly earthquakesModerate

Dorchestermostly earthquakesModerate

Mount Claremostly earthquakesModerate

Dorchestermostly earthquakesModerate

Hillyardmostly inland floodingModerate

Cahokiamostly earthquakesModerate

Brushy Moundmostly inland floodingModerate

Benldmostly earthquakesLow

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. Gillespie is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gillespie’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Gillespie. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.