Natural hazards · Warsaw

Warsaw, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Warsaw comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Warsaw?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Warsaw to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding22%Cold waves21%Drought16%Heat waves16%Strong wind8%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Warsaw faces

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Drought

16% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Warsaw flood?

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

9paid claims since 1979

$364Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $216K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

22flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Warsaw

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WarsawDeclared for Hancock County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$505K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

58 households applied for aid $324K aid approved $871K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

2006

Snow

$2K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$5K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

2001

Flooding

$51K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$3K to the City of Warsaw for repairs

Hancock County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Warsaw

Warsaw and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Warsawmostly inland floodingModerate

Rocky Run-Wilcoxmostly inland floodingModerate

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