Natural hazards · Jefferson

Jefferson, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jefferson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jefferson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jefferson to be higher than in 18% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes17%Hail11%Cold waves8%Drought7%Strong wind7%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Jefferson faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Jefferson flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Jefferson.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stephenson County.

Disasters that hit Jefferson

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JeffersonDeclared for Stephenson County only

2006

Snow

$1K to the Township of Jefferson for repairs

Stephenson County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Jefferson

Jefferson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Freedommostly inland floodingModerate

Berremanmostly inland floodingLow

Lake Carrollmostly inland floodingLow

Cherry Grove-Shannonmostly inland floodingLow

Jeffersonmostly inland floodingVery low

Loranmostly inland floodingVery low

Kentmostly inland floodingVery low

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