Jefferson County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jefferson County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.2 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather. Its storm record holds 827 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 | Relatively High | 92.3 | $2.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.6 | $284K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.8 | $16M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | $1.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79.1 | $3.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 | $648K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 70.1 | $6K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 59.0 | $8.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $231K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.1 | $186K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 43.7 | $58K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.1 | $26K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 9.7 | $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 | 139 | 1 | $21M | 66th of 102 | 1349th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 129 | 3 | $351K | 28th of 102 | 586th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 92 | 0 | $121K | 48th of 102 | 1116th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 82 | 1 | $4.3M | 18th of 102 | 84th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 82 | 0 | – | 20th of 102 | 188th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 65 | 0 | $138K | 19th of 102 | 276th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 49 | 3 | $786K | 49th of 102 | 975th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 3 | $53M | 50th of 102 | 787th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 27 | 0 | $4.9M | 24th of 102 | 1004th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 0 | $69K | 9th of 102 | 239th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $43K | 43rd of 102 | 1197th 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 Jefferson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.