Natural hazards · Meriden

Meriden, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Meriden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 73 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Meriden?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Meriden to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding43%Cold waves23%Drought13%Tornadoes9%Earthquakes5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Meriden faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Meriden flood?

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

73paid claims since 1979

$721Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 20 claims, $444K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $4K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: La Salle County.

Disasters that hit Meriden

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MeridenDeclared for La Salle County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$16K to the Township of Meriden for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$5K to the Township of Meriden for repairs

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

Around Meriden

Meriden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wyomingmostly inland floodingLow

Ophirmostly inland floodingLow

Meridenmostly inland floodingLow

Earlmostly inland floodingLow

Mendotamostly 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. Meriden covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Meriden’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Meriden. 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 Meriden total about $2.2M 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.