Natural hazards · Pekin

Pekin, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pekin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1980. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pekin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pekin to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding44%Cold waves27%Tornadoes14%Heat waves5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Pekin faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Pekin flood?

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

49paid claims since 1980

$126Kpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $737

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. Pekin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Tazewell County.

Disasters that hit Pekin

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PekinDeclared for Tazewell County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

107 households applied for aid $20K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $125K to the City of Pekin for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$35K to the City of Pekin for repairs

2006

Snow

$68K to the City of Pekin for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$40K to the City of Pekin for repairs

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

Around Pekin

Pekin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pekinmostly inland floodingModerate

North Pekinmostly inland floodingModerate

Hollismostly inland floodingModerate

Marquette Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate

Grovelandmostly inland floodingLow

Cincinnatimostly inland floodingLow

Elm Grovemostly 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. Pekin covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pekin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pekin. 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 Pekin total about $10.5M 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.