Natural hazards · Sherman

Sherman, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sherman comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sherman?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sherman to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes20%Cold waves15%Earthquakes9%Heat waves8%Drought6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Sherman 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

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 32 years in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 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 Sherman flood?

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

1paid claims since 2008

$53Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sangamon County.

Disasters that hit Sherman

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShermanDeclared for Sangamon County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$7K to the Village of Sherman for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$9K to the Village of Sherman for repairs

2006

Tornadoes and Severe Storms

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$1K to the Village of Sherman for repairs

Sangamon County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Sherman

Sherman and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Capitalmostly inland floodingModerate

Fancy Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Shermanmostly inland floodingLow

Williamsmostly inland floodingLow

Springfieldmostly 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. Sherman is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sherman’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Sherman. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.