Clay County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Very Low (score 41.1 of 100, higher than 41% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 447 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | $1.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 58.2 | $640K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.3 | $2.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 62.1 | $587K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 44.0 | $193K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 42.5 | $667K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 41.7 | $44K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 41.4 | $842K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 38.9 | $4.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $43K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 24.0 | $77K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 55.9 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 37.3 | $23K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 5.3 | $2K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 194 | 0 | $3.7M | 43rd of 102 | 1051st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 85 | 0 | $36K | 43rd of 102 | 1055th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 72 | 0 | $11M | 24th of 102 | 510th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 32 | 2 | $1.0M | 89th of 102 | 1977th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $18M | 75th of 102 | 1112th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 14 | 1 | – | 55th of 102 | 777th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 8 | 0 | $41M | 71st of 102 | 1750th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $27K | 85th of 102 | 2057th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 83rd of 102 | 1561st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $202K | 17th of 102 | 671st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.