Natural hazards · Urbana

Urbana, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Urbana comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1982. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Urbana?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Urbana to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding39%Cold waves22%Tornadoes16%Earthquakes13%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Urbana faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Urbana flood?

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

3paid claims since 1982

$43Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $675

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Champaign County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Urbana

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UrbanaDeclared for Champaign County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$32K to the City of Urbana for repairs

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

Around Urbana

Urbana and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Champaignmostly inland floodingHigh

Champaign Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Urbanamostly inland floodingModerate

Urbanamostly inland floodingLow

Cunninghammostly inland floodingLow

Somermostly 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. Urbana covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Urbana’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Urbana. 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 Urbana total about $14.4M 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.