3 flood insurance claims·$4,323 paid
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Fayette County, Illinois. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Fayette County, Illinois, accounting for 21 of the 26 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 5 general flood events.
Recent history illustrates this severe weather pattern. On July 20, 2025, a back-building MCS dropped 8.7 inches of rain on central Fayette County in just a few hours—part of a total 13.5 inches—causing impassable roadways and stranded vehicles. Earlier events also brought heavy rainfall and localized threats, including an MCS system on May 29, 2019, severe pulse storms on June 19, 2018, and thunderstorms dumping up to 3 inches of rain on May 11, 2017.
Federal insurance claims data reflect limited historical payouts, including an average payout of $3,461 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches for a single claim in Zone A, alongside two claims in Zone UNKNOWN with an average payout of $431 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas like Zone A, as well as property owners in low-lying areas susceptible to intense, localized rainfall and sudden runoff, should pay the closest attention to this ongoing flash flood risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2002, with 1 claims and $3,461 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
3 NOAA storm reports from Fayette County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 2002.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Dec 10, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Nov 17, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2025 | $600,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Dec 28, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2013 | — |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2013 | $5,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2025. During the evening of July 20th, an MCS rode into south-central Illinois. Though the system as a whole kept pushing southeast during the evening, back-building and additional development along its northwestern edge caused it to rain constantly over Fayette County for hours. Between about 7:45 pm CDT and midnight, central Fayette County received 8.7 inches of rain of a total 13.5 inches. This resulted in flash floo…
Flash Flood · May 29, 2019. Forecast area was in the warm sector ahead of a strong cold front. Storms developed across the region, some of which produced severe storms.
Flash Flood · Jun 19, 2018. Scattered pulse type storms developed across the forecast area. Some of the storms produced damaging winds and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · May 11, 2017. An area of thunderstorms moved through portions of southwestern Illinois dumping up to 3 inches of rain causing flash flooding.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Fayette County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.