Natural hazards · West Point

West Point, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Point comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1993. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Point?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Point to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes16%Cold waves12%Hail9%Strong wind6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What West Point faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 West Point flood?

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

5paid claims since 1993

$334Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $23K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stephenson County.

Disasters that hit West Point

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in West Point itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of West Point.

Brought FEMA money into West PointDeclared for Stephenson County only

2006

Snow

$1K to the Township of West Point for repairs

Stephenson County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around West Point

West Point and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Noramostly inland floodingLow

Waddamsmostly inland floodingLow

West Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Winslowmostly inland floodingLow

Kentmostly inland floodingVery low

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. West Point covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Point’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Point. 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 West Point total about $2.5M 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.