Jackson County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jackson County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.1 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,435 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.5 | $5.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.9 | $328K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 89.7 | $5.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.7 | $20M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 94.8 | $92K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.7 | $2.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $551K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | $290K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $601K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.5 | $13M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.2 | $2.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 59.2 | $206K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 43.3 | $30K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 11.5 | $3K |
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 | 239 | 1 | $144M | 19th of 102 | 623rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 224 | 1 | $8.2M | 8th of 102 | 68th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 175 | 2 | $3.6M | 33rd of 102 | 623rd of 3,077 |
| Hail | 154 | 0 | $2.2M | 19th of 102 | 535th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 138 | 0 | $2.2M | 10th of 102 | 134th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 122 | 1 | – | 19th of 102 | 178th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 119 | 1 | $4.3M | 17th of 102 | 83rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 55 | 0 | $4.9M | 19th of 102 | 765th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 11 | $46M | 38th of 102 | 553rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 0 | $37K | 17th of 102 | 446th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $17K | 45th of 102 | 1216th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $102K | 11th of 102 | 954th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Jackson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.