Natural hazards · Wood River

Wood River, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wood River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wood River?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wood River to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding42%Earthquakes22%Tornadoes13%Heat waves10%Cold waves9%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Wood River faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Wood River flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978

$138Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.

Disasters that hit Wood River

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Wood RiverDeclared for Madison County only

2006

Severe Winter Storm

$78K to the City of Wood River for repairs

Madison County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Wood River

Wood River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wood Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Hartfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Roxanamostly inland floodingHigh

East Altonmostly inland floodingHigh

Rosewood Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh

Bethaltomostly 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. Wood River covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wood River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wood River. 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 Wood River total about $6.1M 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.