Natural hazards · Clayton

Clayton, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clayton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1995. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Clayton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clayton to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes28%Hurricanes14%Heat waves7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Clayton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Clayton flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Clayton, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 1995

$604paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Opal: 1 claim, $604

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Clayton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Barbour County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Clayton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Clayton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Clayton.

Brought FEMA money into ClaytonDeclared for Barbour County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

$20K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$92K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

164 households applied for aid $156K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Barbour County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Clayton is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clayton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clayton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.