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Galva, IllinoisPhoto: No machine-readable author provided. Kelly Martin assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Galva · FEMA

FEMA puts Galva’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 76% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Galva gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (48%), then strong wind (21%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 48%Strong wind 21%Tornadoes 15%

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 76%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A−
in Illinois · lower than 76% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
48% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
6
of 13 declared for Henry County
By hazard

What Galva 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

48%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 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 9% of Galva’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 Galva’s grade

River and rain flooding is 48% of the building damage FEMA expects in Galva, and Galva’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 21%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Galva sits
Galva
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding48%Strong wind21%Tornadoes15%Everything else16%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $999K a year in losses across Galva: $581K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Galva’s 2,470 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Galva flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Henry County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Galva

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Floodng7 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  2. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding35 households applied for aid$61K aid approved
  3. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$8K to the City of Galva for repairs
  4. 2006Snow$6K to the City of Galva for repairs
  5. 2000Illinois Winter Snow Storms$4K to the City of Galva for repairs
  6. 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$5K to the City of Galva for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in GalvaHenry County only

Henry County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Galva archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Galva 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Galva

Is Galva at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Galva has lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (48%) and strong wind (21%). 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 Galva 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 Henry County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Galva?

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

By FEMA money that reached Galva, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): 35 households applied for aid, $61K approved.

Is Galva at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (48%), and Galva’s rate for it is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Galva.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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