Natural hazards · Lawrence

Lawrence, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawrence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1995.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lawrence?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawrence to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding60%Earthquakes24%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Lawrence faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

24% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Lawrence flood?

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

11paid claims since 1995

$138Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $27K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lawrence County.

Disasters that hit Lawrence

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawrenceDeclared for Lawrence County only

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

Around Lawrence

Lawrence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lawrencemostly inland floodingVery high

Denisonmostly inland floodingHigh

Allisonmostly inland floodingHigh

Bondmostly inland floodingHigh

Bridgeportmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Lawrence covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lawrence’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lawrence. 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 Lawrence total about $5.1M 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.