Natural hazards · Morris

Morris, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Morris comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Morris?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Morris to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves35%Tornadoes8%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Morris faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

35% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Morris flood?

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

58paid claims since 1978

$1.4Mpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 21 claims, $730K
Hurricane Ike: 4 claims, $274K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Grundy County.

Disasters that hit Morris

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MorrisDeclared for Grundy County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

99 households applied for aid $201K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $70K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $75K aid approved

Grundy County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Morris

Morris and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Morrismostly inland floodingVery high

Eriennamostly inland floodingVery high

Wauponseemostly inland floodingVery high

Morrismostly cold wavesModerate

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. Morris covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Morris’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Morris. 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 Morris total about $6.1M 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.