FEMA Records
10
Low volume
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
White County, IL
10 FEMA disaster declarations (1983-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 10
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 54
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
White County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 10 declarations, more than 10% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 22% below the Illinois county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 46%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 46%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 10
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 88
- 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 White County compare?
White County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
10 10th percentile higher than 10% 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
White County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Illinois county average
What does White County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 88 paid claims, totaling $1.5M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $16.9K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Illinois county averages 12.9 federal declaration records, while White County has 10. The gap is 22% 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 54.3/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $14.9M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Earthquake carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 134 years here.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, White County's 10 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Illinois, however, the count is 22% below the county mean. 7 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Severe Storm, appearing 4 times. The full 37-year record averages 0.3 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
48 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
White 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
7/30
10 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.5x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
10/25
10 declarations (0.8x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share High
18/25
7 of 10 declarations are major disasters (70%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in White County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Illinois Avg
-22%
State avg: 12.9
vs. National Avg
-52%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 37 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - White 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
70%
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 White 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 Moderate | roughly once every 134 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 8 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 5.6 modeled event-days per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 9.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 3 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 6.6 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 85 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 52 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 11,717 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 4
Biological 2
Tornado 2
Hurricane 1
Snowstorm 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on White County's record, 40% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
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 - 7 70.0%
of all 10 declarations
Emergency - 3 30.0%
of all 10 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 10 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 10 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 |
| 1991 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-07 |
| 3230 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 3199 | RECORD/NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-02-01 |
| 1416 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 2002-05-21 |
| 1112 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-05-06 |
| 871 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1990-06-22 |
| 819 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1989-01-13 |
| 684 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1983-06-06 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to White 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
88
Total Paid
$1.5M
Avg Per Claim
$16.9K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 54.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$14.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Cold Wave 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 White County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Earthquake carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. 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
White County's closest FEMA peer: Carlton County, MN
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for White County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
White County shows 10 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
White County: 7 of 10 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
White County: NRI composite 54.3 (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 White County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
White County's NFIP claims file (88 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 White County?
The most common disaster type in White County is Severe Storm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Tornado (2), Hurricane (1).
How does White County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
The typical Illinois county has 12.9 FEMA declaration records; White County has 10, or 22% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 52% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has White County received?
White County has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 70% of all 10 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has White County filed?
White County has 88 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $1.5M in payments, with an average of $16.9K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in White County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in White County was 2005, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1983 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for White County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, White County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 54.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $14.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to White County?
FEMA's NRI data points to White County is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate) and Drought (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts earthquake here at roughly once every 134 years. 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 White County
Against a Illinois county mean of 13 declarations, White County, IL records 10, or 22% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (7 of 10) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Illinois overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 10% of recorded county totals, but its own Illinois benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. 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
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
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.