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Natural hazards · Clearwater

Clearwater, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clearwater comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,320 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Clearwater?

51
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clearwater to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes41%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes12%Cold waves9%Coastal flooding6%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Clearwater faces

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

Hurricanes

41% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Clearwater flood?

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

2,320paid claims since 1978
$231Mpaid to owners
151homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Helene: 1,169 claims, $192M
  • Blizzard of 1993: 435 claims, $7.0M
  • Hurricane Elena: 140 claims, $1.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (36) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Clearwater is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Pinellas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5buildings retrofitted against wind
3homes raised above flood level
1storm safe rooms built
1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Clearwater

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClearwaterDeclared for Pinellas County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

29,191 households applied for aid $27.5M aid approved $7.6M to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2024

Hurricane Helene

13,338 households applied for aid $18.8M aid approved $6.6M to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2024

Hurricane Debby

1,308 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $725K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2023

Hurricane Idalia

2,342 households applied for aid $965K aid approved $289K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2022

Hurricane Ian

6,825 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved $1.4M to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

27,421 households applied for aid $8.6M aid approved $3.4M to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2016

Hurricane Hermine

91 households applied for aid $80K aid approved $299K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2012

Tropical Storm Debby

230 households applied for aid $287K aid approved $145K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

918 households applied for aid $845K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2004

Hurricane Frances

386 households applied for aid $321K aid approved $708K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

$162K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
1999

Tropical Storm Irene - Florida

$2K to the City of Clearwater for repairs
Pinellas County has had 39 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Clearwater

Clearwater and the towns around it

Dunedin: Moderate, mostly hurricanesSafety Harbor: Moderate, mostly hurricanesLargo: Moderate, mostly hurricanesBelleair: Moderate, mostly hurricanesGreenbriar: Moderate, mostly hurricanesBelleair Beach: High, mostly coastal floodingPalm Harbor: High, mostly hurricanesSouth Highpoint: Low, mostly hurricanesRidgecrest: Moderate, mostly hurricanesBelleair Bluffs: Moderate, mostly hurricanesHarbor Bluffs: High, mostly hurricanesPinellas Park: High, mostly hurricanesIndian Rocks Beach: High, mostly coastal floodingBelleair Shore: High, mostly coastal floodingTarpon Springs: High, mostly hurricanesEast Lake: High, mostly inland floodingClearwater: Moderate, mostly hurricanes ClearwaterDunedinSafety HarborLargoBelleairGreenbriarBelleair BeachPalm Harbor
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Belleair Beachmostly coastal floodingHigh
Palm Harbormostly hurricanesHigh
Dunedinmostly hurricanesModerate
Safety Harbormostly hurricanesModerate
Largomostly hurricanesModerate
Greenbriarmostly hurricanesModerate
Clearwatermostly hurricanesModerate
Belleairmostly hurricanesModerate
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. Clearwater covers 28 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clearwater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clearwater. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Clearwater total about $27.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.

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