Natural hazards · Godfrey

Godfrey, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Godfrey comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Godfrey?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Godfrey to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding32%Earthquakes20%Tornadoes17%Heat waves13%Cold waves11%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Godfrey faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

20% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 77 years in the area

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times 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

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 Godfrey flood?

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

27paid claims since 1978

$288Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $187K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

42flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Godfrey

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GodfreyDeclared for Madison County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$23K to the Village of Godfrey for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $43K aid approved

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$25K to the Village of Godfrey for repairs

Madison County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Godfrey

Godfrey and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Altonmostly inland floodingHigh

Elsahmostly inland floodingHigh

Piasamostly inland floodingHigh

Fostermostly inland floodingModerate

Altonmostly inland floodingModerate

Godfreymostly 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. Godfrey covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Godfrey’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Godfrey. 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 Godfrey total about $8.7M 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.