Natural hazards · Illinois

Illinois, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Illinois comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2026. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Illinois?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Illinois to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes20%Wildfire13%Hail8%Strong wind5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Illinois faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Wildfire

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Hail

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Illinois flood?

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

2paid claims since 2026

$25Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20262026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Nemaha County.

Disasters that hit Illinois

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into IllinoisDeclared for Nemaha County only

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides

$27K to the Township of Illinois for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$5K to the Township of Illinois for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$21K to the Township of Illinois for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$21K to the Township of Illinois for repairs

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

Around Illinois

Illinois and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Illinoismostly inland floodingModerate

Harrisonmostly inland floodingModerate

Mitchellmostly inland floodingModerate

Red Vermillionmostly inland floodingModerate

Homemostly inland floodingModerate

Corningmostly 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. Illinois covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Illinois’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Illinois. 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 Illinois total about $2.8M 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.