Photo: Asteve77767 · CC BY-SA 3.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Breese Township than in 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Breese Township gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #638 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%), then earthquakes (23%). Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2002.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Breese Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Breese Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 61% of the building damage FEMA expects in Breese Township, and Breese Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #638 of 768 in Illinois; higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Breese Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Illinois town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Breese Township has more expected damage per building than 83% of Illinois towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.1M a year in losses across Breese Township: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Breese Township flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 2002
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Breese Township, from FEMA’s records: 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Early winter storms4 claims · $192K
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $5K
Breese Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clinton County.The storms Breese Township remembers
None of the 4 disasters declared for Clinton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Breese Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20154 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20021 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, declared for Clinton County
- 20051 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Clinton County has had 4 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Breese Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Breese Township archive →Breese Township and its neighbors
Breese Township is 2nd of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wade Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Breese Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Sugar Creek Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Germantown Township | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| St. Rose Township | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Breese Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Breese Township
Is Breese Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Breese Township has higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #638 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%) and earthquakes (23%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Breese Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Breese Township since 2002, $205K in all, or 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Early winter storms (4).
Is Breese Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Clinton County, 2% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Breese Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Breese Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Breese Township?
By flood claims, Early winter storms: 4 paid, $192K.
Is Breese Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (61%), and Breese Township’s rate for it is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Breese Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Breese Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.