Whiteside County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Whiteside County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 65.8 of 100, higher than 65% 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 794 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 | 85.4 | $1.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $1.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $3.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.3 | $2.8M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 68.9 | $203K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.6 | $120K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.1 | $13M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 62.7 | $518K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 50.4 | $231K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 50.2 | $368K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.8 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.4 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14.1 | $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 | 276 | 0 | $1.5M | 56th of 102 | 1195th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 163 | 0 | $313K | 40th of 102 | 1019th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 149 | 0 | $17K | 32nd of 102 | 621st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 62 | 0 | $6.3M | 51st of 102 | 997th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 0 | $15M | 34th of 102 | 484th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 0 | $499K | 41st of 102 | 764th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | $221K | 54th of 102 | 1531st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | $33M | 59th of 102 | 1572nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $3K | 33rd of 102 | 858th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 101st of 102 | 1804th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $334K | 50th of 102 | 1328th 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 Whiteside County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.