Natural hazards · Normal

Normal, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Normal comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Normal?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Normal to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves34%Tornadoes11%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Normal faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

34% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% 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 Normal flood?

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

29paid claims since 1979

$264Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: McLean County.

Disasters that hit Normal

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NormalDeclared for McLean County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$71K to the Town of Normal for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$33K to the Town of Normal for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$25K to the Town of Normal for repairs

McLean County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and ice storms.

Around Normal

Normal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Normalmostly inland floodingModerate

Bloomingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Bloomington Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Towandamostly inland floodingModerate

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. Normal covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Normal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Normal. 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 Normal total about $20.2M 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.