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The heart of rural Bushnell Illinois, bisected by two active railroad lines. One being AmtrakPhoto: Ron Frazier · CC BY 2.0
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Bushnell · FEMA

Bushnell’s building-damage rate from strong wind is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bushnell gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #325 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then hail (12%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 68%Hail 12%Tornadoes 9%

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

less than 51%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#325 of 768 in Illinois
Hazard risk
B−#325 of 768
in Illinois · lower than 51% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
68% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
6
of 8 declared for McDonough County
By hazard

What Bushnell 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

68%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 20% of Bushnell’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Bushnell’s grade

River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bushnell, and Bushnell’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 12%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Bushnell sits
Bushnell
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #325 of 768 in Illinois; lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Bushnell’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding68%Hail12%Tornadoes9%Everything else11%

The typical Illinois town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Bushnell has less expected damage per building than 58% of Illinois towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $912K a year in losses across Bushnell: $343K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Bushnell’s 2,718 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Bushnell township (2,919 residents) and Prairie City township (535 residents) and Prairie City village (407 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Bushnell flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bushnell. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Bushnell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: McDonough County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bushnell

Disasters that paid out in Bushnell itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Bushnell), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2023Severe Storms and Flooding$135K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
  2. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding157 households applied for aid$274K aid approved$53K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
  3. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$14K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
  4. 2006Snow$7K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
  5. 2000Illinois Winter Snow Storms$3K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
  6. 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$5K to the City of Bushnell for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BushnellMcDonough County only

McDonough County has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Bushnell after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Bushnell archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Bushnell faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Bushnell

Is Bushnell at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bushnell has lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #325 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and hail (12%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Bushnell 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 McDonough County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Bushnell?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bushnell’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 Bushnell?

By FEMA money that reached Bushnell, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): 157 households applied for aid, $274K approved, and $53K to the City of Bushnell for repairs.

Is Bushnell at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Bushnell’s rate for it is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bushnell.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bushnell’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.