Natural hazards · Sefton

Sefton, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sefton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sefton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sefton to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding45%Earthquakes13%Cold waves11%Tornadoes9%Drought7%Heat waves6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Sefton faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Sefton flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Sefton.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fayette County.

Disasters that hit Sefton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Fayette County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Sefton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into SeftonDeclared for Fayette County only

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

Around Sefton

Sefton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Otegomostly inland floodingHigh

Sharonmostly inland floodingHigh

Ramseymostly inland floodingHigh

Seftonmostly inland floodingHigh

Carsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Loudonmostly inland floodingHigh

Avenamostly inland floodingHigh

Vandaliamostly inland floodingModerate

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. Sefton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sefton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Sefton. 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 Sefton total about $1.6M 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.