Natural hazards · Penn

Penn, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Penn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Penn?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Penn to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves25%Drought16%Earthquakes7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Penn faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

16% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Penn flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

Disasters that hit Penn

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PennDeclared for Shelby County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$24K to the Township of Penn for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$3K to the Township of Penn for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$4K to the Township of Penn for repairs

Shelby County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often tornadoes and winter storms.

Around Penn

Penn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pennmostly inland floodingHigh

Pickawaymostly inland floodingHigh

Moweaquamostly inland floodingHigh

Flat Branchmostly inland floodingHigh

Mount Zionmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Penn is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Penn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Penn. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.