Natural hazards · Wapella

Wapella, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wapella comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wapella?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wapella to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding36%Drought18%Cold waves17%Tornadoes10%Strong wind7%Earthquakes7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Wapella faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

18% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

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 Wapella flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: De Witt County.

Disasters that hit Wapella

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WapellaDeclared for De Witt County only

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$64K to the Village of Wapella for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$22K to the Village of Wapella for repairs

2000

Illinois Winter Snow Storms

$2K to the Village of Wapella for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$2K to the Village of Wapella for repairs

De Witt County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

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