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Natural hazards · Ottawa

Ottawa, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ottawa comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 168 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Ottawa?

77
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ottawa to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding64%Cold waves23%Tornadoes7%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Ottawa faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% 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

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% 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 Ottawa flood?

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

168paid claims since 1979
$3.0Mpaid to owners
16homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $546K
  • Hurricane Ike: 12 claims, $266K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 40% off flood insurance. Ottawa is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 2) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: La Salle County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

68flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
1flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Ottawa

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OttawaDeclared for La Salle County only
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

221 households applied for aid $516K aid approved $69K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $283K aid approved $117K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

269 households applied for aid $570K aid approved $87K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
2006

Snow

$13K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$15K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$20K to the City of Ottawa for repairs
La Salle County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Ottawa

Ottawa and the towns around it

Dayton: Low, mostly inland floodingNaplate: Low, mostly inland floodingOttawa: High, mostly inland floodingWallace: Low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very high, mostly inland floodingDayton: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Ottawa: High, mostly inland floodingUtica: Low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Very low, mostly inland floodingFreedom: Low, mostly inland floodingFall River: Low, mostly inland floodingSerena: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMarseilles: High, mostly inland floodingManlius: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiller: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOttawa: High, mostly inland flooding OttawaDaytonNaplateOttawaWallaceRutlandDayton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rutlandmostly inland floodingVery high
Ottawamostly inland floodingHigh
Ottawamostly inland floodingHigh
Daytonmostly inland floodingLow
Naplatemostly inland floodingLow
Wallacemostly inland floodingLow
Daytonmostly inland floodingLow
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. Ottawa covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ottawa’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ottawa. 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 Ottawa total about $8.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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