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Natural hazards · Watson

Watson, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Watson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

How exposed is Watson?

62
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Watson to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding39%Earthquakes19%Drought14%Tornadoes10%Cold waves7%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Watson 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 69% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Drought

14% of expected damage
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

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 Watson flood?

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Watson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Effingham County.
Disasters that hit Watson

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Effingham County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Watson itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WatsonDeclared for Effingham County only
Effingham County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often tornadoes and winter storms.
Around Watson

Watson and the towns around it

Union: High, mostly inland floodingJackson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBishop: High, mostly inland floodingTeutopolis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWatson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSt. Francis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLucas: High, mostly inland floodingMason: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBlair: High, mostly inland floodingMound: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSummit: Low, mostly earthquakesNorth Muddy: High, mostly inland floodingTeutopolis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEffingham: Low, mostly earthquakesSigel: High, mostly inland floodingBanner: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpring Point: High, mostly inland floodingGrove: High, mostly inland floodingWatson: High, mostly inland flooding WatsonUnionJacksonBishopTeutopolisDouglasWatsonSt. Francis
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Watsonmostly inland floodingHigh
Unionmostly inland floodingHigh
Bishopmostly inland floodingHigh
Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate
Watsonmostly inland floodingModerate
St. Francismostly inland floodingModerate
Teutopolismostly inland floodingModerate
Douglasmostly 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. Watson 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 Watson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Watson. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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