FEMA Records
7
Low volume
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Effingham County, IL
7 FEMA disaster declarations (1996-2022), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 7
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 54
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Effingham County: 7 FEMA declaration records are 46% below the Illinois county mean, even though the count is higher than 4% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks in the riskiest 46%.
- Riskiest 46%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 7
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 4
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 17049 · Effingham County 7 declarations · rank 3135/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 7
- MAJOR-MID 57%
- RANK-LOWER #3,135
- PHOTO-FINISH Clinton
- NRI-LOW 54
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-BELOW -46%
Nearest declaration peer: Clinton, IL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Illinois state profile
Effingham County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Effingham County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Clinton · near 7
Clinton · near
7 declarations
- Effingham · this county 7
Effingham · this county
7 declarations
- Lea · near 7
Lea · near
7 declarations
- Marinette · near 7
Marinette · near
7 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Effingham County carries 7 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3135 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Effingham County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Effingham County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Effingham County
7 4th percentile higher than 4% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Effingham County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Effingham County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $7.4M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Earthquake carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Effingham County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 53.8/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $20.4M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Earthquake, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 203 years here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 4 claims and $52.3K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a Illinois county averages 12.9 federal declaration records, while Effingham County has 7. The gap is 46% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
39 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Effingham County, IL · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
5/30
7 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
7/25
7 declarations (0.5x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share High
14/25
4 of 7 declarations are major disasters (57%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Effingham County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Effingham County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
57%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
54
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Effingham County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 203 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 1.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 7.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 7.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 3 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 1.6 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4.5 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 2 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 37 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 49 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 44,146 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Tornado 2
Biological 2
Snowstorm 1
Hurricane 1
Severe Storm 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Effingham County's record, 29% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Effingham County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 57.1%
of all 7 declarations
Emergency - 3 42.9%
of all 7 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 7 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 7 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3577 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | EM | Tornado | 2021-12-13 |
| 4489 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3435 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 1960 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2011-03-17 |
| 3230 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1416 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 2002-05-21 |
| 1112 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-05-06 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Effingham County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,218 | 9 | 67 | $46.0M |
| Hail | 3,195 | 0 | 0 | $27.1M |
| Winter Weather | 1,363 | 14 | 49 | $1.8M |
| Flood | 1,221 | 14 | 11 | $84.3M |
| Flash Flood | 1,133 | 11 | 3 | $1.1B |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
4
Total Paid
$52.3K
Avg Per Claim
$13.1K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 53.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$20.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Earthquake Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Earthquake
Earthquake is the model's clearest example of a hazard with no season and no warning. Its expected loss is driven less by how often shaking occurs than by how much of the building stock predates modern seismic codes, so exposure can be high in places where nothing has happened for a long time.
Worth noting for Effingham County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Earthquake carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Low), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Effingham County's closest FEMA peer: Silver Bow County, MT
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Effingham County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Effingham County shows 7 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Effingham County: 4 of 7 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Effingham County: NRI composite 53.8 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Effingham County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Effingham County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 53.8 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 7. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Earthquake as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively Low); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Effingham County?
The most common disaster type in Effingham County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Tornado (2), Snowstorm (1), Hurricane (1).
How does Effingham County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
The typical Illinois county has 12.9 FEMA declaration records; Effingham County has 7, or 46% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 66% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Effingham County received?
Effingham County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 57% of all 7 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Effingham County filed?
Effingham County has 4 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $52.3K in payments, with an average of $13.1K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Effingham County?
No. In Effingham County, Earthquake has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $7.4M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Effingham County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Effingham County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1996 to 2022.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Effingham County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Effingham County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 53.8 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively Low, while community resilience comes in at Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $20.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Effingham County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Effingham County is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Drought (Relatively Moderate) and Landslide (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts earthquake here at roughly once every 203 years. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Effingham County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Illinois profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events