Union County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Union County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 55.4 of 100, higher than 55% 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 1,025 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 | 86.7 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $4.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.1 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66.9 | $94K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63.5 | $125K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61.6 | $1.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.8 | $240K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 38.9 | $3.7M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.2 | $135K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 38.1 | $120K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 54.0 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 36.1 | $18K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 9.2 | $2K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 162 | 1 | $16M | 18th of 102 | 399th of 3,077 |
| Heat | 124 | 1 | – | 10th of 102 | 61st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 118 | 2 | $10M | 7th of 102 | 101st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 113 | 2 | $11M | 11th of 102 | 114th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 110 | 0 | $67K | 12th of 102 | 45th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 95 | 1 | $2.8M | 67th of 102 | 1359th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 60 | 0 | $4.9M | 11th of 102 | 443rd of 3,063 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $87K | 74th of 102 | 1659th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 1 | $15M | 49th of 102 | 772nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 28th of 102 | 639th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $31K | 47th of 102 | 1267th 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 Union County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.