Natural hazards · Peoria

Peoria, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peoria comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 345 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peoria?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peoria to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding36%Cold waves32%Tornadoes16%Heat waves5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Peoria faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% 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 Peoria flood?

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

345paid claims since 1978

$3.1Mpaid to owners

32homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 15 claims, $400K
Hurricane Ike: 2 claims, $29K
Early winter storms: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Peoria County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

49flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

2buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Peoria

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PeoriaDeclared for Peoria County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

1,654 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $509K to the City of Peoria for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$2K to the City of Peoria for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,428 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$7K to the City of Peoria for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$68K to the City of Peoria for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$199K to the City of Peoria for repairs

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

Around Peoria

Peoria and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Spring Baymostly inland floodingHigh

Pekinmostly inland floodingModerate

Fondulacmostly inland floodingModerate

West Peoriamostly inland floodingModerate

East Peoriamostly inland floodingModerate

Richwoodsmostly inland floodingLow

Peoria Heightsmostly inland floodingLow

Medinamostly inland floodingLow

Peoria Citymostly inland floodingLow

Peoriamostly inland floodingLow

Kickapoomostly cold wavesLow

Limestonemostly cold wavesLow

Creve Coeurmostly cold wavesVery low

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. Peoria covers 30 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Peoria’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Peoria. 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 Peoria total about $41.3M 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.