Natural hazards · Springfield

Springfield, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Springfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1982.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Springfield?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Springfield to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes22%Cold waves16%Earthquakes12%Heat waves9%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Springfield faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Springfield flood?

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

18paid claims since 1982

$284Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 1 claim, $112K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Springfield 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 Springfield

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpringfieldDeclared for Sangamon County only

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

Around Springfield

Springfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Capitalmostly inland floodingModerate

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Clear Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Fancy Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Gardnermostly inland floodingLow

Shermanmostly inland floodingLow

Springfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Grandviewmostly 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. Springfield covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Springfield’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Springfield. 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 Springfield total about $5.1M 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.