103 flood insurance claims·$2.2M 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 Vermilion 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 severe summer thunderstorms dominates the flood character of Vermilion County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA data records 53 flash flood events compared to 6 general flood events. Recent events illustrate this pattern, including slow-moving thunderstorms on June 27, 2020, that dropped 2 to 3 inches of rain and forced the barricading of Route 49 west of Potomac, and scattered thunderstorms on June 29, 2019, that produced excessive rainfall rates leaving IL-119 impassable west of Alvin.
Federal insurance claims data shows that the highest financial and physical impacts are concentrated in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Properties located in Zone A have accounted for the majority of historical claims, averaging 71 claims with an average payout of $29,982 and an average recorded water depth of 17 inches. Claims also occurred in other zones, including Zone X with 13 claims averaging $17,618 and an average water depth of 7 inches, and unknown zones averaging 10 claims with a payout of $19,595 and an average water depth of 17 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A and low-lying areas prone to rapid stormwater accumulation from heavy rainfall events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Vermilion County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
80 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 15 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 1994, with 22 claims and $407,388 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
15 NOAA storm reports from Vermilion County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1968.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 29, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Nov 17, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Jan 1, 1999 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 28, 1996 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 9, 1994 |
| Severe Ice Storm | Feb 14, 1990 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
59 since 1996: 53 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | $3.0M |
| Flash Flood | Feb 20, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 11, 2021. Waves of low pressure tracking along a nearly stationary frontal boundary draped across south-central Illinois triggered numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of July 11th. Some of the storms dropped locally heavy rainfall, with as much as 3.77 being reported in Mount Pulaski in southern Logan County. Due to excessive rainfall rates and already moist soil conditions, flash flooding occurred in…
Flash Flood · Jun 27, 2020. Slow-moving thunderstorms dropped 2 to 3 inches of rain across portions of Vermilion County during the late evening of June 27th. Localized flash flooding occurred west of Potomac where Route 49 had to be barricaded.
Flash Flood · Jun 29, 2019. Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front draped along the I-80 corridor during the evening of June 29th. One of the strongest cells dropped southeastward into Vermilion County, producing wind gusts of around 60mph and hail as large as quarters. In addition, excessive rainfall rates caused localized flash flooding west of Alvin where IL-119 was impassible due to flowing water.
Flood · Feb 21, 2018. A slow-moving frontal boundary brought very heavy rainfall to central Illinois from Monday, February 19th through Tuesday, February 20th. Many locations east of I-55 and north of I-70 picked up 3 to 5 inches of rain...with locally higher amounts in excess of 6 inches. The heavy rain occurring on top of the frozen ground led to significant run-off and widespread flooding along area creeks and streams. Several ro…
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 Vermilion 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.