Richland is calmer than 70% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Richland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2003. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Richland’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Richland?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.
Calmer than 2,503 of the 2,886 Illinois towns we cover.
Richland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Richland faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Cold waves
Drought
Tornadoes
Earthquakes
Does Richland flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 2003
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Richland, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms2 claims · $101K
Richland isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: La Salle County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Richland
Disasters that paid out in Richland itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Township of Richland) and its biggest flood years.
- 1999Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99$978 to the Township of Richland for repairs
La Salle County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Old photos of Richland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Richland archive →Get ready for what Richland actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- On a well? Know how deep it is and watch for sputtering.
- Follow the town’s watering limits.
- Fix drips: they add up.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Richland and its neighbors
Richland ranks 2nd calmest of 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Moderate | inland flooding | 1 |
| Richland | Low | inland flooding | 7 |
| Hope | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Vermillion | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Disasters here can come any time of year
The month each of La Salle County’s 18 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Richland’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Richland.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Richland, expected losses total about $2.8M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Richland.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.