Natural hazards · Paxton

Paxton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paxton comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1993. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Paxton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paxton to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves34%Inland flooding32%Tornadoes15%Strong wind6%Earthquakes5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Paxton faces

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

Cold waves

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

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 Paxton flood?

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

1paid claims since 1993

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $7K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ford County.

Disasters that hit Paxton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PaxtonDeclared for Ford County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$31K to the City of Paxton for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$8K to the City of Paxton for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$16K to the City of Paxton for repairs

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

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. Paxton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paxton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Paxton. 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 Paxton total about $1.9M 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.