Tazewell County, IL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Tazewell County has experienced 15 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Tazewell County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, tornado, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 121 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (11th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Tazewell County has been designated in 15 declarations since 1973, covering 6 disaster types including flood (5), snowstorm (3), severe storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2007 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 1999 | Snowstorm | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 |
| 1990 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 15 total declarations since 1973.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | 19 | 0 | $240K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.5 | 18 | 0 | $435K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 28.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | 88 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 65.5 | 1 | 0 | $8K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 84.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Tazewell County ranks in the 11th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 11th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 11th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 13th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 16th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 32nd | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 5th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 5th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 18.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 121 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 62 in 2016–20 vs 59 in 2021–25 (-5% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Tazewell County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Tazewell County, Illinois are cold wave, tornado, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Tazewell County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Tazewell County has received 15 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (5 declarations).
Has Tazewell County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Tazewell County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Tazewell County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Peoria County, IL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Woodford County, IL has the lowest (Very Low). Tazewell County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Tazewell County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Tazewell County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Tazewell County's composite score of 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.