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Natural hazard risk in Madison County, Illinois

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Moderate (score 93.4 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$154.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1969
14[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$8.0 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
57[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) gives Madison County an overall Relatively Moderate rating, with a Risk Index score of 93.4 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are heat wave, tornado and hail[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Madison County at $154.9 million a year[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. The largest parts of that estimate come from inland flooding ($56.2 million a year), earthquake ($35.4 million a year) and tornado ($23.4 million a year)[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Relatively Low (score 25.8), which describes how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience Very High (score 86.1), which describes a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10]. These ratings compare the county with all other US counties and do not predict next year's losses[7].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Heat WaveRelatively High$16.5 million[11]
TornadoRelatively High$23.4 million[12]
HailRelatively High$4.9 million[13]
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$35.4 million[14]
Cold WaveRelatively High$14.6 million[15]
LightningRelatively High$1.7 million[16]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$56.2 million[17]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$481,000[18]
LandslideRelatively Low$36,000[19]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$327,000[20]
DroughtRelatively Low$383,000[21]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$836,000[22]
HurricaneVery Low$20,000[23]
WildfireVery Low$5,590[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Low25.8[9]
Community resilienceVery High86.1[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate for Madison County, with a score of 92.2 out of 100[17]. OpenFEMA lists 824 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 105,162 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.8%, as of 2026-08-03[26]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data show 1,087 claims filed for losses from 1978 to 2026, 816 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $8.0 million in total[3]. County ratings do not show the flood zone of one address. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[17] Relatively Moderate, $56.2 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 824 of 105,162 homes
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1,087 filed, $8.0 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Madison County since 1969[2]. By incident type, there were 5 for severe storm, 5 for flood, 2 for tornado, 1 for hurricane and 1 for severe ice storm[2]. The most recent listed is EM-3577-IL for severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes, declared 2021-12-13[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 57 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the most recent was on 2024-04-18[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Madison County, since 1969
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 5
Flood[2] 5
Tornado[2] 2
Hurricane[2] 1
Severe Ice Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3577-IL[28] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes 2021-12-13
DR-4461-IL[28] Severe Storms And Flooding 2019-09-19
DR-1771-IL[28] Severe Storms And Flooding 2008-06-24
DR-1681-IL[28] Severe Winter Storm 2007-02-09
EM-3230-IL[28] Hurricane Katrina Evacuation 2005-09-07

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Questions people ask

Is Madison County, Illinois at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with a score of 92.2[17]. FEMA estimates inland flooding at $56.2 million a year in Expected Annual Loss[8].
Does Madison County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 57 tornadoes touching Madison County from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively High compared with other US counties[12].
Is Madison County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with a score of 97.0[14]. FEMA estimates earthquake Expected Annual Loss at $35.4 million a year[14].
How many disasters have been declared in Madison County?
OpenFEMA lists 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Madison County since 1969[2].
How do I check the flood zone of an address in Madison County?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Madison County is $154.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Moderate, score 94.3). Of this, buildings account for $91.3 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Madison County since 1969 (12 major disaster, 2 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 5, flood 5, tornado 2, hurricane 1, severe ice storm 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1,087 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Madison County, 816 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $8.0 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 57 recorded tornadoes touched Madison County. The strongest were rated F4 (most recent of them on 1981-04-03). 5 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-04-18. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Madison County is Relatively Moderate, with a Risk Index score of 93.4 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Madison County are heat wave (98.0, Relatively High), tornado (97.6, Relatively High), hail (97.1, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Madison County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($56.2 million a year), earthquake ($35.4 million a year), tornado ($23.4 million a year), out of $154.9 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Madison County is Relatively Low (score 25.8). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Madison County is Very High (score 86.1). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 14.74 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $23.4 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.68 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.9 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 5.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 97.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $35.4 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0056 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 95.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $14.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.79 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.7 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 49.9 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 92.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $56.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.39 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of... FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 90.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $481,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 8.89 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 85.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $36,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 75.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $327,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.18 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68... FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 63.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $383,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.66 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Madison County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 60.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $836,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 6.23 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Madison County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 32.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $20,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic Basin... FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Madison County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 14.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5,590 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Madison County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 824 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Madison County, out of 105,162 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.8%. OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.