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Former train station in Mount Sterling, IllinoisPhoto: Adam Moss from Macomb, IL, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Mount Sterling · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Mount Sterling than in 66% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mount Sterling 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 (63%), then tornadoes (13%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 63%Tornadoes 13%Strong wind 8%

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
63% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 13 declared for Brown County
By hazard

What Mount Sterling 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

63%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 64% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

8%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 Lightning top 3% Hurricanes Winter storms 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 36% of Mount Sterling’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 Mount Sterling’s grade

River and rain flooding is 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mount Sterling, and Mount Sterling’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 64% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 8%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Mount Sterling sits
Mount Sterling
Least damageMiddleMost damage

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

Mount Sterling’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding63%Tornadoes13%Strong wind8%Everything else16%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $803K a year in losses across Mount Sterling: $179K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Mount Sterling covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Mount Sterling flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Brown County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Mount Sterling

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

  1. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
  2. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$10K to the City of Mount Sterling for repairs
  3. 2006Snow$4K to the City of Mount Sterling for repairs
  4. 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$4K to the City of Mount Sterling for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Mount SterlingBrown County only

Brown County has had 13 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Mount Sterling archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Mount Sterling 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Mount Sterling

Is Mount Sterling at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mount Sterling 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 (63%) and tornadoes (13%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Mount Sterling 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 Brown County, 13% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Mount Sterling?

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

By FEMA money that reached Mount Sterling, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): 6 households applied for aid, $14K approved.

Is Mount Sterling at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and Mount Sterling’s rate for it is lower than 64% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mount Sterling.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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