Natural hazards · South Fork

South Fork, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Fork comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2002.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is South Fork?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Fork to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding31%Cold waves24%Earthquakes14%Drought12%Tornadoes6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What South Fork faces

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

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

Drought

12% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 South Fork flood?

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

6paid claims since 2002

$173Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 3 claims, $165K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Christian County.

Disasters that hit South Fork

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into South ForkDeclared for Christian County only

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

Around South Fork

South Fork and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pawneemostly inland floodingHigh

Cotton Hillmostly inland floodingModerate

Buckhartmostly inland floodingModerate

South Forkmostly inland floodingModerate

Taylorvillemostly cold wavesLow

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. South Fork covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Fork’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of South Fork. 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 South Fork total about $2.2M 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.