Natural hazards · Gold Hill

Gold Hill, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gold Hill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1991. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gold Hill?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gold Hill to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding36%Earthquakes22%Heat waves11%Tornadoes8%Strong wind8%Cold waves5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Gold Hill faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Gold Hill flood?

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

17paid claims since 1991

$560Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 11 claims, $444K
March storm: 1 claim, $37K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Gallatin County.

Disasters that hit Gold Hill

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Gold HillDeclared for Gallatin County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$47K to the Township of Gold Hill for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$34K to the Township of Gold Hill for repairs

Gallatin County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Gold Hill

Gold Hill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ridgwaymostly inland floodingVery high

New Havenmostly inland floodingVery high

Gold Hillmostly inland floodingHigh

Shawneemostly inland floodingHigh

Equalitymostly inland floodingHigh

Bowlesvillemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Gold Hill covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gold Hill’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Gold Hill. 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 Gold Hill total about $3.0M 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.