Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, Carlyle Township faces more hazard damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Carlyle Township gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #652 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (54%), then earthquakes (30%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2015.
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 Carlyle 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 Carlyle Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 54% of the building damage FEMA expects in Carlyle Township, and Carlyle Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #652 of 768 in Illinois; higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Carlyle Township’s residents live in 2 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, Carlyle Township has more expected damage per building than 85% of Illinois towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.0M a year in losses across Carlyle Township: $2.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Carlyle Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2015
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Carlyle Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 75% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Carlyle 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 Carlyle Township remembers
None of the 4 disasters declared for Clinton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Carlyle Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20151 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20241 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 Carlyle Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Carlyle Township archive →Carlyle Township and its neighbors
Carlyle Township is 3rd of the 3 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 | — |
| Irishtown Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Carlyle Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Lake Township | — | 804 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Clement Township | — | 458 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Carlyle 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 Carlyle Township
Is Carlyle Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Carlyle Township has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #652 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (54%) and earthquakes (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Carlyle Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Carlyle Township since 2015, $12K in all, or 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 75% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Carlyle 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 Carlyle Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Carlyle Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Carlyle Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (54%), and Carlyle Township’s rate for it is higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Carlyle Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Carlyle 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.