FEMA Records
19
Below median
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
St. Clair County, IL
19 FEMA disaster declarations (1968-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 19
- FEMA declarations
- 17
- Major disasters
- 95
- NRI risk · Relatively High
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for St. Clair County. Its 19 FEMA declarations are 48% above the Illinois county mean and exceed the count for 41% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 5%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 5%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 19
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 1,468
- 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 17163 · St. Clair County 19 declarations · rank 1902/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-HEAVY · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-HIGH · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 19
- MAJOR-HEAVY 89%
- RANK-LOWER #1,902
- PHOTO-FINISH Bartow
- NRI-HIGH 95
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-ABOVE +48%
Nearest declaration peer: Bartow, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Illinois state profile
St. Clair County in the declaration-count neighbourhood
FEMA declaration records among St. Clair County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Bartow · near 19
Bartow · near
19 declarations
- St. Clair · this county 19
St. Clair · this county
19 declarations
- Union · near 19
Union · near
19 declarations
- Warren · near 19
Warren · near
19 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows St. Clair County carries 19 FEMA declaration records, ranked 1902 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
How St. Clair County's FEMA declaration count compares nationally
St. Clair County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · St. Clair County
19 41st percentile higher than 41% 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
St. Clair County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for St. Clair County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $71.7M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Heat Wave carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). 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 St. Clair County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 1,468 claims and $7.8M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $5.3K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. St. Clair County's 19 federal records stand 48% above the Illinois county mean of 12.9. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 94.9/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $174.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Heat Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 15 modeled event-days per year here, based on 154 historical events on record.
69 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
St. Clair 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) Moderate
14/30
19 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
18/25
19 declarations (1.5x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share Very High
22/25
17 of 19 declarations are major disasters (89%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in St. Clair County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - St. Clair 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
89%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
95
Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike St. Clair 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 15 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 158 years |
| Hail | Relatively High | an average of 5.2 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 1.8 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 52 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 9 times per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 1.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 6.2 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 79 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 49,202 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 8
Severe Storm 5
Biological 2
Tornado 2
Severe Ice Storm 1
Hurricane 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on St. Clair County's record, 42% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 17 89.5%
of all 19 declarations
Emergency - 2 10.5%
of all 19 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 1 | |
Show 3 earlier declaration years
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1968 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 19 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 19 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4819 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODNG | DR | Flood | 2024-09-20 |
| 4676 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-10-14 |
| 4489 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3435 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4461 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-09-19 |
| 1771 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-24 |
| 1681 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-02-09 |
| 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 |
| 1053 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-05-30 |
| 1025 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1994-04-26 |
| 997 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-07-09 |
| 776 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-10-07 |
| 684 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1983-06-06 |
| 583 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1979-04-30 |
| 373 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-04-26 |
| 276 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-08-30 |
| 242 | TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 1968-06-05 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to St. Clair 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
1,468
Total Paid
$7.8M
Avg Per Claim
$5.3K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively High
Score: 94.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$174.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Heat Wave Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively High
Cold Wave Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Very 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: Heat Wave
Heat Wave is measured in event-days per year rather than discrete events, and it is the hazard whose harm is most consistently undercounted: its toll is health and mortality, concentrated among people without cooling, rather than visible damage to property.
Worth noting for St. Clair County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Heat Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. 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
St. Clair County's closest FEMA peer: Clackamas County, OR
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for St. Clair County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
St. Clair County: NRI composite 94.9 (Relatively High).
Similar Major-disaster share
St. Clair County: 17 of 19 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
St. Clair County shows 19 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
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 St. Clair County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for St. Clair 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: 94.9 (Relatively High).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 19. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
St. Clair County's NFIP claims file (1,468 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
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 St. Clair County?
The most common disaster type in St. Clair County is Flood, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (5), Biological (2), Tornado (2).
How does St. Clair County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
FEMA lists 19 declaration records for St. Clair County. That is 48% above the Illinois county mean of 12.9. Its count is also 8% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has St. Clair County received?
St. Clair County has received 17 major disaster declarations, representing 89% of all 19 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has St. Clair County filed?
St. Clair County has 1,468 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $7.8M in payments, with an average of $5.3K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in St. Clair County?
No. In St. Clair County, Heat Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $71.7M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in St. Clair County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in St. Clair County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1968 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for St. Clair County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, St. Clair County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 94.9 out of 100 (Relatively High). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively Low, while community resilience comes in at Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $174.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to St. Clair County?
FEMA's NRI data points to St. Clair County is Heat Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) and Hail (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts heat wave here at 15 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 154 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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 St. Clair County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Illinois profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events