Natural hazards · Meridian

Meridian, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Meridian comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Meridian?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Meridian to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding46%Earthquakes22%Cold waves8%Tornadoes7%Strong wind5%Everything else12%

By hazard

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times 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 Meridian flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Clinton County.

Disasters that hit Meridian

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into MeridianDeclared for Clinton County only

Clinton County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Meridian

Meridian and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Meridianmostly inland floodingVery high

Clementmostly inland floodingVery high

East Forkmostly inland floodingVery high

Brooksidemostly inland floodingHigh

Sandovalmostly 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. Meridian covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Meridian’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Meridian. 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 Meridian total about $1.2M 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.