28 flood insurance claims·$457,895 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 Saline 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 Saline County, Illinois, accounting for 43 of the 63 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 20 general flood events resulting in 1 death.
Recent weather patterns have driven significant heavy rainfall and flooding across the region, including major severe weather outbreaks and flash flood reports near Harrisburg in May and July 2024. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration storm data highlights events fueled by slow-moving troughs, surface boundaries, and high precipitable water values capable of producing torrential rainfall rates.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows that high-risk Zone A properties have experienced the highest frequency of claims with 20 filings, averaging $18,574 per payout and an average recorded water depth of 17 inches. However, properties in moderate-to-low risk zones also face measurable vulnerability; Zone X properties recorded 4 claims averaging $22,199 with an average water depth of 6 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties recorded 3 claims averaging $35,232 with an average water depth of 4 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated flood zones and lower-risk areas should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth averages when evaluating property risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
13% of Saline County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
23 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 13 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 2014, with 9 claims and $141,793 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.
24 NOAA storm reports from Saline County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1996.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 8, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Record/near Record Snow | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 28, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
63 since 1996: 43 flash floods and 20 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 8, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2024 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2024 | $75,000 |
| Flood | May 8, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | $800,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 3, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 18, 2025. A surface boundary was positioned west to east across the Quad State during the early afternoon with convective activity increasing with daytime heating. Scattered convection primarily occurred south of the boundary mid to late afternoon. MLCAPE reached 2000J/kg but effective bulk shear was very limited. Precipitable water values over 2 allowed for torrential rainfall rates. Training storm occurrence was limited,…
Flood · May 8, 2025. A 500mb trough extended from Quebec southwest to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers around midday and pushed slowly eastward through the afternoon. At the surface, a weak surface low tried to lift northeast through west Kentucky, as surface high pressure built slowly southeast across southern Illinois. The greatest instability was a bit elevated with MUCAPE values of 1000-2000J/kg, which resulted in…
Flash Flood · Jul 28, 2024. Training heavy rainfall developed in portions of Southern Illinois during the evening hours on the 28th, with flash flooding developing in Wayne and Saline Counties. Eldorado was hit hard for a second time with rainfall totals around 5 inches, prompting water rescues. Water intruded into buildings including the Ferrell Hospital, which had already been heavily impacted from a flood in May. PW values were up to 2 in…
Flash Flood · May 26, 2024. The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas. A weak surface low was moving into SE Missouri during the morning with a secondary low located further northwest. A warm frontal boundary was draped across our area. A bowing…
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 Saline 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.