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US 136 entering ColchesterPhoto: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Colchester · FEMA

FEMA puts Colchester’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 66% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Colchester gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then hail (13%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 67%Hail 13%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 66%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B+
in Illinois · lower than 66% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
67% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 8 declared for McDonough County
By hazard

What Colchester 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

67%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Ice storms Lightning Winter storms 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 25% of Colchester’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 Colchester’s grade

River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Colchester, and Colchester’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 13%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Colchester sits
Colchester
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding67%Hail13%Tornadoes9%Everything else11%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $400K a year in losses across Colchester: $105K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Colchester’s 1,108 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Lamoine township (478 residents) and Tennessee township (339 residents) and Bethel township (296 residents) and Tennessee village (101 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 Colchester flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Colchester. 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

Colchester 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

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Colchester

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

  1. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding24 households applied for aid$102K aid approved
  2. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the City of Colchester for repairs
  3. 2006Snow$2K to the City of Colchester for repairs
  4. 2000Illinois Winter Snow Storms$2K to the City of Colchester for repairs
  5. 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$2K to the City of Colchester for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ColchesterMcDonough 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 Colchester after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Colchester archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Colchester 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 Colchester

Is Colchester at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Colchester has lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and hail (13%). 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 Colchester 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 Colchester?

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

By FEMA money that reached Colchester, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): 24 households applied for aid, $102K approved.

Is Colchester at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Colchester’s rate for it is lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Colchester.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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