Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to South Beloit

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
South BeloitIL WelcomePhoto: B45p32b · CC BY-SA 4.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in South Beloit · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in South Beloit than in 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Beloit gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #599 of 768 in Illinois. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%). Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1993.

River and rain flooding 86%Tornadoes 7%Hail 4%

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

more than 76%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#599 of 768 in Illinois
Hazard risk
C−#599 of 768
in Illinois · higher than 76% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
86% of expected building damage
Flood claims
26
paid since 1993 · $144K
Flooded more than once
2
properties
Disasters paid out here
4
of 16 declared for Winnebago County
By hazard

What South Beloit 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

86%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Earthquakes Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms 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 12% of South Beloit’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 South Beloit’s grade

River and rain flooding is 86% of the building damage FEMA expects in South Beloit, and South Beloit’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 7% (higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts).

Where South Beloit sits
South Beloit
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #599 of 768 in Illinois; higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).

South Beloit’s residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding86%Tornadoes7%Hail4%Everything else3%

The typical Illinois town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, South Beloit has more expected damage per building than 78% of Illinois towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.5M a year in losses across South Beloit: $3.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. South Beloit covers 5 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 South Beloit flood? Sometimes: 26 flood claims since 1993

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Beloit, from FEMA’s records: 7.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 68% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 4 claims2008: 7 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 10 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 2 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200720082013
19932026
Biggest named events
  • The Mid-spring storms2 claims · $5K
  • Tropical Storm Erin1 claim · $25K
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $3K
26
paid claims since 1993
$144K
paid to owners
2
homes flooded more than once
$6K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Winnebago County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to South Beloit

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

  1. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding5 households applied for aid$4K aid approved10 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2010Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$260 aid approved
  3. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding23 households applied for aid$22K aid approved7 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$4K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in South BeloitWinnebago County only

Winnebago County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the South Beloit archive →
Next door

South Beloit and its neighbors

South Beloit is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Roscoe: hazard risk C+Rockton: hazard risk C+RoscoeRocktonSouth Beloit
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
RocktonC+more damage than 62%river and rain flooding5
RoscoeC+more damage than 64%river and rain flooding39
South BeloitC−more damage than 76%river and rain flooding26

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what South Beloit 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 ↗
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 South Beloit

Is South Beloit at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Beloit has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #599 of 768 in Illinois. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%) and tornadoes (7%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does South Beloit flood?

Flood insurance has paid 26 claims in South Beloit since 1993, $144K in all, or 7.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 68% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (2).

Is South Beloit 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 Winnebago County, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in South Beloit?

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

By FEMA money that reached South Beloit, Severe Storms and Flooding (2008): 23 households applied for aid, $22K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 2 paid, $5K.

Is South Beloit at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (86%), and South Beloit’s rate for it is higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Beloit.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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