Natural hazards · Highland

Highland, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1987. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highland?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highland to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding36%Earthquakes27%Tornadoes15%Heat waves10%Cold waves9%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Highland 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 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

27% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% 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 Highland flood?

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

3paid claims since 1987

$32Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Highland 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.

Disasters that hit Highland

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighlandDeclared for Madison County only

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$121K to the City of Highland for repairs

Madison County has had 14 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. Highland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Highland. 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 Highland total about $3.9M 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.