Shelby County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Shelby County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 51.7 of 100, higher than 51% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 411 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 High | 93.4 | $2.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $5.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.0 | $642K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.7 | $1.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.5 | $4K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $584K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.6 | $85K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $302K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 48.3 | $7.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.1 | $510K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 39.8 | $998K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 40.7 | $36K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 26.3 | $29K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 12.6 | $5K |
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 | 144 | 0 | $116M | 93rd of 102 | 1825th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 66 | 1 | $1.5M | 58th of 102 | 1095th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 66 | 0 | $973K | 99th of 102 | 2155th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 45 | 0 | $1.7M | 99th of 102 | 2121st of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 6 | $25M | 76th of 102 | 1126th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 13 | 0 | – | 78th of 102 | 1082nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $18K | 83rd of 102 | 2014th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | $67M | 85th of 102 | 1927th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 1 | – | 87th of 102 | 1637th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 1 | $137K | 23rd of 102 | 774th 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 Shelby County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.