Natural hazards · Joshua

Joshua, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Joshua comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Joshua?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Joshua to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding35%Tornadoes17%Cold waves13%Hail9%Earthquakes8%Strong wind7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Joshua faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Joshua flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fulton County.

Disasters that hit Joshua

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JoshuaDeclared for Fulton County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Joshua for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Township of Joshua for repairs

Fulton County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Joshua

Joshua and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Deerfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Putmanmostly inland floodingLow

Joshuamostly inland floodingLow

Fairviewmostly inland floodingLow

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