Natural hazards · Salem

Salem, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Salem?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salem to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding36%Earthquakes36%Tornadoes7%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Heat waves5%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Salem 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

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

36% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 97 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 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 Salem flood?

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

7paid claims since 1979

$136Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $14K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

Disasters that hit Salem

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalemDeclared for Marion County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Township of Salem for repairs

Marion County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Salem

Salem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Salemmostly inland floodingHigh

Odinmostly inland floodingHigh

Raccoonmostly earthquakesHigh

Stevensonmostly earthquakesHigh

Tontimostly earthquakesModerate

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. Salem covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Salem’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Salem. 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 Salem total about $8.1M 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.