Natural hazards · Olney

Olney, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olney comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olney?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olney to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes44%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes11%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Olney faces

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

Earthquakes

44% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Olney flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Richland County.

Disasters that hit Olney

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OlneyDeclared for Richland County only

2004

Record/Near Record Snow

$7K to the City of Olney for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$23K to the City of Olney for repairs

Richland County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

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. Olney covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olney’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olney. 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 Olney total about $5.2M 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.