Natural hazards · Walnut

Walnut, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Walnut comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Walnut?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding46%Drought19%Tornadoes14%Cold waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Walnut faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

19% of expected damage

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

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 Walnut flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bureau County.

Disasters that hit Walnut

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WalnutDeclared for Bureau County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $824 aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Village of Walnut for repairs

2006

Snow

$6K to the Village of Walnut for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$2K to the Village of Walnut for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$3K to the Village of Walnut for repairs

Bureau County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

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. Walnut 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 Walnut’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Walnut. 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.