Lee County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 54.4 of 100, higher than 54% 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 539 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 | 84.6 | $1.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 79.6 | $1.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.8 | $2.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.7 | $2.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 72.4 | $712K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 62.5 | $11M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $68K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29.6 | $33K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 28.8 | $119K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 49.6 | $308K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.5 | $635 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 31.9 | $172K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 15.7 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 9.4 | $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 | 202 | 0 | $409K | 85th of 102 | 1594th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 115 | 0 | – | 79th of 102 | 1723rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 0 | – | 65th of 102 | 1488th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 0 | $9.9M | 61st of 102 | 896th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 31 | 0 | $21K | 94th of 102 | 1823rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 0 | – | 37th of 102 | 675th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | – | 58th of 102 | 1567th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 0 | $69K | 63rd of 102 | 1705th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 89th of 102 | 1303rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 50th of 102 | 1459th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $7K | 62nd of 102 | 1674th 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 Lee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.