Knox County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Knox County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.2 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 521 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 | 96.0 | $3.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 83.8 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $1.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 | $2.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 74.3 | $623K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $215K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 67.8 | $2.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | $401K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 70.8 | $6K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $74K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 49.4 | $6.0M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.4 | $388K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 22.1 | $7K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 1.1 | $446 |
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 | 208 | 2 | $7.1M | 71st of 102 | 1425th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 114 | 0 | – | 66th of 102 | 1461st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 1 | $1.1M | 66th of 102 | 1511th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 47 | 0 | $54M | 80th of 102 | 1381st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 0 | $37M | 80th of 102 | 1231st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 14 | 0 | – | 73rd of 102 | 1012th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 0 | – | 68th of 102 | 1291st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $110K | 78th of 102 | 1962nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 10 | 0 | $3.5M | 81st of 102 | 1844th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $4K | 78th of 102 | 2117th 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 Knox County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.