Natural hazards · Independence

Independence, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Independence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2008.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Independence?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Independence to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding42%Earthquakes27%Tornadoes8%Strong wind7%Cold waves6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Independence faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

27% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Independence flood?

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

6paid claims since 2008

$191Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $155K
March storm: 1 claim, $28K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Saline County.

Disasters that hit Independence

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Saline County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Independence itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into IndependenceDeclared for Saline County only

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

Around Independence

Independence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Independencemostly inland floodingVery high

Stonefortmostly inland floodingVery high

Mountainmostly inland floodingVery high

Carrier Millsmostly earthquakesVery high

Harrisburgmostly earthquakesHigh

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. Independence covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Independence’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Independence. 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 Independence total about $3.8M 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.