FEMA Records
14
Low volume
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Stephenson County, IL
14 FEMA disaster declarations (1969-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Snowstorm.
- 14
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 74
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Snowstorm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Stephenson County. Its 14 FEMA declarations are 9% above the Illinois county mean and exceed the count for 20% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 26%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 26%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 14
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 193
- 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.
How does Stephenson County compare?
Stephenson County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
14 20th percentile higher than 20% 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 · 2026-08-03
Stephenson County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Illinois county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Stephenson County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $15.8M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Hail carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). 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 Stephenson County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 193 paid claims, totaling $3.6M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $18.4K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Stephenson County's 14 federal records stand 9% 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 carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 73.9/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $28.9M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hail carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.6 times per year here, based on 137 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 14 entries for Stephenson County, including 9 Major Disaster records, 9% above the Illinois county mean. Across the 51-year span, that works out to 0.3 declarations a year. Snowstorm leads the file with 4 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
53 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Stephenson 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
10/30
14 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
14/25
14 declarations (1.1x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share High
16/25
9 of 14 declarations are major disasters (64%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Stephenson County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Illinois Avg
+9%
State avg: 12.9
vs. National Avg
-32%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 51 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Stephenson 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
64%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
74
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Stephenson 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.6 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | an average of 5.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 11 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 6.3 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 4.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,178 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 40 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 16 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 8,927 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 174 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Snowstorm 4
Severe Storm 3
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
What Snowstorm declarations mean here
Snowstorm is the most frequent declaration type on Stephenson County's record, 29% of its declarations. Snow-related declarations work on a narrower basis than most other hazards: they are generally issued to reimburse the cost of snow removal and emergency protective measures, rather than to repair destroyed property.
The qualifying test is unusual too. FEMA assesses snowfall against record levels for the affected area, so the same storm total can qualify in a county where it is historically extreme and not qualify a few hundred miles north where it is an ordinary winter. A low snowstorm declaration count is therefore not evidence of mild winters.
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 - 9 64.3%
of all 14 declarations
Emergency - 5 35.7%
of all 14 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 14 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 14 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1960 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2011-03-17 |
| 1935 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-08-19 |
| 3283 | RECORD SNOW AND NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2008-03-13 |
| 1722 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-30 |
| 3269 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2006-12-29 |
| 3230 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1129 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-07-25 |
| 997 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-07-09 |
| 3068 | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1979-01-16 |
| 438 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1974-06-10 |
| 276 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-08-30 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Stephenson 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
193
Total Paid
$3.6M
Avg Per Claim
$18.4K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 73.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$28.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hurricane 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: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
Worth noting for Stephenson County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Hail carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Snowstorm. 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
Stephenson County's closest FEMA peer: Klickitat County, WA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Stephenson County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Stephenson County: NRI composite 73.9 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Stephenson County: 9 of 14 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Stephenson County shows 14 FEMA declarations, led by Snowstorm.
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 Stephenson County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Stephenson County's NFIP claims file (193 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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Stephenson County?
The most common disaster type in Stephenson County is Snowstorm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (4), Severe Storm (3), Biological (2).
How does Stephenson County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
FEMA lists 14 declaration records for Stephenson County. That is 9% above the Illinois county mean of 12.9. Its count is also 32% 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 Stephenson County received?
Stephenson County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 64% of all 14 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Stephenson County filed?
Stephenson County has 193 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $3.6M in payments, with an average of $18.4K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Stephenson County?
No. In Stephenson County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $15.8M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Stephenson County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Stephenson County was 2007, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1969 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Stephenson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Stephenson County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 73.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Moderate; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $28.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Stephenson County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Stephenson County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Tornado (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 3.6 times per year, drawn from 137 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.
What this means for Stephenson County
Stephenson County, IL has 14 federal declaration records, 9% more than the Illinois county mean of 13; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 9 of 14 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Illinois overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Illinois mean and the totals for 20% of 3,266 U.S. counties. Most-disaster rankings
- Use the data guide to separate this mid-volume insurance-claims file from declaration counts and modeled NRI risk. Disaster-data guide
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.