Mercer County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mercer County's overall risk Very Low (score 8.8 of 100, higher than 8% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 538 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 | 71.5 | $907K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 66.3 | $285K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 61.6 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.1 | $492K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.1 | $8K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 48.5 | $551K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 33.4 | $777K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 26.9 | $40K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.5 | $182K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.7 | $69K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.5 | $467K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 11.3 | $4K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 9.2 | $2.0M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 1.1 | $719 |
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 | 136 | 0 | $22M | 89th of 102 | 1686th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 133 | 1 | $1.4M | 25th of 102 | 537th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 96 | 0 | $4.6M | 78th of 102 | 1690th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 55 | 0 | $26M | 44th of 102 | 896th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 0 | $24M | 40th of 102 | 615th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 0 | $10.0M | 45th of 102 | 822nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | $22M | 49th of 102 | 1437th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $184K | 87th of 102 | 2104th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $241K | 38th of 102 | 943rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 94th of 102 | 1546th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $69K | 41st of 102 | 1173rd 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 Mercer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.