Enter any address in Tazewell County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Tazewell County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 36 flash flood events and 10 flood events. Recent examples include isolated flooding in May 2024 and minor urban flooding in August 2023 following heavy rainfall. In August 2022, a strong storm produced four to five inches of rain in Tazewell County, leading to isolated flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $5,439 and an average water depth of 2.4 feet. Properties in Zone X, though fewer in number, have seen significantly higher average payouts ($12,957) and water depths (6.2 feet). Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk, should pay particular attention to flood information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
21 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Tazewell County, Illinois has recorded 46 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 36 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Nov 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 6, 2003 |
| Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Snowstorm | Jan 1, 1999 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Severe Storm | May 15, 1990 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 4, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 11, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flood — May 4, 2024
A cold front tracked across Illinois during the late afternoon and evening, resulting in scattered thunderstorm development. The storms stayed below severe thunderstorm limits, but one storm did produce nickel sized hail and isolated flooding in Tazewell County.
Flood — Aug 11, 2023
Thunderstorms developed overnight across Iowa, ahead of a cold front, in an environment characterized by moderate instability and shear. The storms congealed into a line that swept across central Illinois during the early morning hours of August 11, producing scattered damaging winds before weakening after moving east of I-55. The thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall over 1 inch, which...
Flash Flood — Aug 20, 2022
Supercells formed in the early afternoon near Peoria, to the southeast of a surface low over eastern Iowa and out ahead of its associated cold front. Storms produced large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain leading to isolated flash flooding. The strongest storm impacted Tazewell County, producing hail as large as three inches in diameter and rainfall amounts of four to five inches. Into the ...
Flash Flood — Aug 2, 2022
A persistent frontal boundary draped across central Illinois continued to be the focus for strong to severe thunderstorm development during the morning of August 2nd. A low-level jet interacting with the boundary triggered the first cluster of storms across portions of Sangamon and Logan counties during the pre-dawn hours, with additional cells forming from Galesburg to near Lawrenceville as t...
Flash Flood — Oct 7, 2021
Low pressure interacting with an unseasonably warm and humid environment triggered scattered strong thunderstorms across central Illinois during the afternoon and early evening of October 7th. A couple of the cells dropped hail as large as quarters, while other storms produced heavy rainfall of 2 to 3 inches and localized flash flooding across parts of Tazewell County.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Tazewell County, Illinois:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Tazewell County, Illinois that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.