Natural hazards · Piasa

Piasa, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Piasa comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Piasa?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Piasa to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding25%Heat waves24%Cold waves17%Tornadoes14%Earthquakes7%Strong wind7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Piasa faces

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

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 22 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Piasa flood?

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

31paid claims since 1982

$333Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 5 claims, $103K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jersey County.

Disasters that hit Piasa

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PiasaDeclared for Jersey County only

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$14K to the Township of Piasa for repairs

Jersey County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Piasa

Piasa and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Piasamostly inland floodingHigh

Brightonmostly earthquakesModerate

Mississippimostly inland floodingModerate

Godfreymostly inland floodingModerate

Fidelitymostly heat wavesModerate

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. Piasa covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Piasa’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Piasa. 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 Piasa total about $1.5M 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.