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Natural hazards · Rock Island

Rock Island, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rock Island comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rock Island?

54
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rock Island to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves25%Tornadoes15%Heat waves9%Strong wind5%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Rock Island faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Rock Island flood?

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

35paid claims since 1979
$592Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 7 claims, $44K
  • Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $15K

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. Rock Island isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rock Island County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Rock Island

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rock IslandDeclared for Rock Island County only
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.9M to the City of Rock Island for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

56 households applied for aid $41K aid approved $36K to the City of Rock Island for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$56K to the City of Rock Island for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

145 households applied for aid $114K aid approved $276K to the City of Rock Island for repairs
2001

Flooding

$296K to the City of Rock Island for repairs
Rock Island County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Rock Island

Rock Island and the towns around it

Milan: High, mostly inland floodingMoline: Low, mostly inland floodingRock Island Arsenal: High, mostly inland floodingMoline: Low, mostly inland floodingRock Island: High, mostly inland floodingSouth Rock Island: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Moline: Low, mostly inland floodingBlackhawk: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCoyne Center: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOak Grove: High, mostly inland floodingEast Moline: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCoal Valley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCoal Valley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDavenport: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBettendorf: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRiverdale: Low, mostly inland floodingHampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCampbell's Island: High, mostly inland floodingRock Island: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Rock IslandMilanMolineRock Island ArsenalMolineRock IslandSouth Rock IslandSouth Moline
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rock Island Arsenalmostly inland floodingHigh
Rock Islandmostly inland floodingHigh
Milanmostly inland floodingHigh
Rock Islandmostly inland floodingModerate
South Rock Islandmostly inland floodingModerate
Molinemostly inland floodingLow
Molinemostly inland floodingLow
South Molinemostly 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. Rock Island covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rock Island’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rock Island. 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 Rock Island total about $11.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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