Natural hazards · Hamburg

Hamburg, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hamburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 112 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hamburg?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hamburg to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Heat waves14%Cold waves6%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Hamburg faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Hamburg flood?

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

112paid claims since 1978

$1.3Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 20 claims, $457K
Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $39K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Calhoun County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

16flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Hamburg

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HamburgDeclared for Calhoun County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$18K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $32K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $35K aid approved $21K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$8K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

2001

Flooding

$21K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$1K to the Village of Hamburg for repairs

Calhoun County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Hamburg 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 Hamburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Hamburg. 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.

Hamburg, IL natural hazards

How exposed is Hamburg?

What Hamburg faces

Inland flooding

Heat waves

Cold waves

Tornadoes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Hamburg flood?

Biggest named events

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

Flooding

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

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