Photo: Westkentuckygenealogy · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Cordova
Cordova isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cordova has 666 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979.
What Cordova 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
Tornadoes
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.
Does Cordova flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cordova, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding2 claims · $16K
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $1K
Cordova isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rock Island County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cordova
Disasters that paid out in Cordova itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Cordova), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Village of Cordova for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding$6K to the Village of Cordova for repairs
- 2001Flooding$11K to the Village of Cordova for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
Rock Island County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Cordova after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cordova archive →Cordova and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Byron Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Cordova Township | — | 764 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 Cordova 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cordova
Does Cordova flood?
Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Cordova since 1979, $67K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (2).
Is Cordova 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 Rock Island County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Cordova?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cordova’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 Cordova?
By FEMA money that reached Cordova, Flooding (2001): $11K to the Village of Cordova for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 2 paid, $16K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cordova.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cordova’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.