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Winnebago 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.
Winnebago County, Illinois, has 888 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 173.1 events per 100 square miles, above the Illinois figure of 120.2, and 31.4 per 10,000 residents against 52.7 statewide.
49 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 7 deaths and 15 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $41M.
FEMA has designated the county in 19 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 1,729 claims since 1978, of which 1,403 were paid, totalling $27M (about $19K per paid claim). FEMA counts 585 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($122M a year across 18 hazards).
1 tropical storm or hurricane track in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Illinois and the United States
| Measure | Winnebago County | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 888 | 66,722 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 173.1 | 120.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 31.4 | 52.7 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 49 | 3,232 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 7 | 1,148 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $41M | $6.9B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 4.2 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $19K | $14K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 39.5 | 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: 636 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 147 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1999 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 2 | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Aug 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 69 mph | — | — | 1 | 2 | County |
| 14 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 59 mph | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 20 Feb 1997 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Aug 2006 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Nov 2010 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | $500K | — | — | 6 | County |
| 8 Aug 2022 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 4 Sep 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $20M | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Sep 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 26 Jul 2023 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Jun 2008 | Flood | Flood | — | $6.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 104 mph | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2007 | Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2007 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2010 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $632K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 2017 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | 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 |
| 10 May 2013 | DR-4116 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 17 Mar 2011 | DR-1960 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 2010 | DR-1935 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 24 Jun 2008 | DR-1771 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2008 | EM-3283 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Public assistance |
| 30 Aug 2007 | DR-1722 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 29 Dec 2006 | EM-3269 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2005 | EM-3230 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | 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 |
| 25 Jul 1996 | DR-1129 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 9 Jul 1993 | DR-997 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 16 Jan 1979 | EM-3068 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms | 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 |
| 25 Apr 1967 | DR-227 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornadoes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | $2,628 | $2,628 |
| 2024 | 50 | 46 | $1,560,275 | $33,919 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | $24,995 | $24,995 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | $49 | $49 |
| 2019 | 113 | 101 | $3,413,202 | $33,794 |
| 2018 | 35 | 33 | $638,744 | $19,356 |
| 2017 | 26 | 17 | $425,030 | $25,002 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 4 | 2 | $38,760 | $19,380 |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | $1,831 | $1,831 |
| 2013 | 54 | 35 | $422,344 | $12,067 |
| 2010 | 44 | 38 | $661,276 | $17,402 |
| 2009 | 11 | 6 | $21,130 | $3,522 |
| 2008 | 328 | 286 | $9,171,936 | $32,070 |
| 2007 | 208 | 192 | $4,810,658 | $25,056 |
| 2006 | 153 | 138 | $3,784,895 | $27,427 |
| 2004 | 5 | 3 | $8,876 | $2,959 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2002 | 8 | 5 | $127,695 | $25,539 |
| 2001 | 3 | 1 | $6,222 | $6,222 |
| 2000 | 74 | 53 | $460,553 | $8,690 |
| 1999 | 11 | 8 | $97,509 | $12,189 |
| 1998 | 5 | 2 | $6,666 | $3,333 |
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 | $67,806,097 | |
| Cold wave | $20,021,015 | |
| Tornado | $19,151,188 | |
| Strong wind | $4,294,231 | |
| Hail | $4,277,306 | |
| Heat wave | $2,078,635 | |
| Earthquake | $1,670,831 | |
| Lightning | $1,138,158 | |
| Ice storm | $615,078 | |
| Winter weather | $274,611 | |
| Drought | $246,328 | |
| Wildfire | $17,063 | |
| Hurricane | $6,000 | |
| Landslide | $1,407 |
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
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1900 | 34 mi | 58 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 61115 575
- 61104 352
- 61111 131
- 61073 123
- 61103 110
- 61109 98
- 61102 68
- 61108 68
- 61107 55
- 61101 50
- 61080 43
- 61114 16
- 61016 14
- 61088 8
- 61063 7
- 61072 7
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 Winnebago County, IL?
NCEI records 215 hail events in Winnebago County since 1950, in 47 different years; that is about 2.8 recorded events a year. 53 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Winnebago County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 25 tornadoes in Winnebago County since 1950, 3 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Winnebago County?
20 Sep 2024: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 19 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Winnebago County, and how much was paid?
1,729 NFIP claims since 1978, 1,403 of them paid, for $27M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Winnebago County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" 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 Winnebago County compare with the rest of Illinois?
173.1 recorded events per 100 square miles against 120.2 statewide, and 6.1 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.