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Fulton County, Illinois
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 758 events for Fulton County, Illinois, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 87.6 events per 100 square miles, below the Illinois figure of 120.2, and 228.3 per 10,000 residents against 52.7 statewide.
27 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 6 deaths and 130 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $66M and crop damage at $7.6M.
FEMA has designated the county in 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (major disaster, 20 Sep 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 369 claims since 1978, of which 319 were paid, totalling $2.8M (about $9K per paid claim). FEMA counts 25 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($21M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Illinois and the United States
| Measure | Fulton County | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 758 | 66,722 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 87.6 | 120.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 228.3 | 52.7 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 27 | 3,232 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 6 | 1,148 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $66M | $6.9B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | 4.2 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $9K | $14K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 16.0 | 21.1 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 471 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 205 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 1975 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $25M | — | 2 | 69 | County |
| 12 Jan 2012 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 16 May 2009 | Flood | Flood | — | — | $4.0M | 1 | — | County |
| 1 Feb 2011 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $200K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 May 2009 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 13 May 1995 | Tornado | Tornado | F4 | $6.0M | — | — | 45 | County |
| 4 Apr 2023 | Tornado | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $450K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 19 Feb 1971 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 8 Jan 1997 | Heavy Snow | Winter | — | — | — | — | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 17 Apr 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $12M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 1976 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 Jun 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $100K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 4 Aug 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $100K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Aug 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 61 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 18 Apr 2013 | Flood | Flood | — | $3.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 2012 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $3.3M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Apr 2013 | Flood | Flood | — | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1975 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1981 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 2024 | DR-4819 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng | Individual assistance |
| 26 Mar 2020 | DR-4489 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3435 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 2019 | DR-4461 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 10 May 2013 | DR-4116 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 17 Mar 2011 | DR-1960 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 29 Dec 2006 | EM-3269 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2005 | EM-3230 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 15 May 2003 | DR-1469 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 21 May 2002 | DR-1416 | Major disaster | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 17 Jan 2001 | EM-3161 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Illinois Winter Snow Storms | Public assistance |
| 8 Jan 1999 | EM-3134 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Public assistance |
| 30 May 1995 | DR-1053 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Jul 1993 | DR-997 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Mar 1985 | DR-735 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Dec 1982 | DR-674 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 30 Apr 1979 | DR-583 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 25 Jul 1975 | DR-478 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornado | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Jun 1974 | DR-438 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Apr 1973 | DR-373 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | $87,233 | $29,078 |
| 2013 | 19 | 17 | $514,517 | $30,266 |
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | $210,197 | $26,275 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | $37,808 | $18,904 |
| 2002 | 6 | 5 | $101,075 | $20,215 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | $1,964 | $1,964 |
| 1998 | 1 | 1 | $2,160 | $2,160 |
| 1997 | 12 | 12 | $66,975 | $5,581 |
| 1996 | 12 | 11 | $61,105 | $5,555 |
| 1995 | 17 | 15 | $215,946 | $14,396 |
| 1993 | 27 | 24 | $235,262 | $9,803 |
| 1990 | 2 | 2 | $4,028 | $2,014 |
| 1986 | 2 | 1 | $8,172 | $8,172 |
| 1985 | 79 | 64 | $373,278 | $5,832 |
| 1983 | 26 | 18 | $65,355 | $3,631 |
| 1982 | 108 | 94 | $452,724 | $4,816 |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 | $413 | $413 |
| 1980 | 5 | 4 | $39,647 | $9,912 |
| 1979 | 37 | 36 | $338,830 | $9,412 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $8,609,936 | |
| Cold wave | $3,103,432 | |
| Tornado | $3,057,111 | |
| Earthquake | $1,497,069 | |
| Hail | $1,482,258 | |
| Heat wave | $1,299,368 | |
| Strong wind | $1,201,685 | |
| Drought | $419,745 | |
| Ice storm | $278,327 | |
| Lightning | $185,868 | |
| Winter weather | $69,318 | |
| Landslide | $17,559 | |
| Hurricane | $8,593 | |
| Wildfire | $1,632 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Fulton County, IL?
NCEI records 210 hail events in Fulton County since 1950, in 42 different years; that is about 2.7 recorded events a year. 53 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Fulton County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 50 tornadoes in Fulton County since 1950, 9 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 2.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Fulton County?
20 Sep 2024: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 20 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Fulton County, and how much was paid?
369 NFIP claims since 1978, 319 of them paid, for $2.8M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Fulton County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Fulton County compare with the rest of Illinois?
87.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 120.2 statewide, and 11.1 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 4.2. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.