Stephenson County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Stephenson County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.9 of 100, higher than 73% 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 756 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 | 85.1 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.3 | $2.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $3.9M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $878K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $3.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.9 | $16M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.7 | $191K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $610K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 47.2 | $187K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44.3 | $47K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 57.7 | $360K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.3 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27.0 | $11K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 15.1 | $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 | 264 | 0 | $8.1M | 45th of 102 | 1054th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 161 | 0 | $32K | 17th of 102 | 387th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 135 | 0 | $428K | 56th of 102 | 1273rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 57 | 2 | $13M | 69th of 102 | 1202nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 31 | 0 | $37K | 23rd of 102 | 531st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 0 | $37K | 36th of 102 | 634th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 0 | $28M | 91st of 102 | 1445th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $5.0M | 53rd of 102 | 1518th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | $32M | 56th of 102 | 1546th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $98K | 26th of 102 | 809th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 97th of 102 | 1699th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Stephenson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.