Natural hazards · Symmes

Symmes, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Symmes comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Symmes?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Symmes to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding30%Earthquakes21%Drought13%Tornadoes11%Cold waves8%Strong wind7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Symmes faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

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

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Symmes flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Edgar County.

Disasters that hit Symmes

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SymmesDeclared for Edgar County only

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$2K to the Township of Symmes for repairs

Edgar County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Symmes

Symmes and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Douglasmostly inland floodingModerate

Parismostly inland floodingLow

Symmesmostly inland floodingLow

Grandviewmostly inland floodingLow

Elbridgemostly inland floodingLow

Strattonmostly 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. Symmes covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Symmes’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Symmes. 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 Symmes total about $2.8M 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.