Natural hazards · Palm River-Clair Mel

Palm River-Clair Mel, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palm River-Clair Mel comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 257 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palm River-Clair Mel?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palm River-Clair Mel to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes36%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes17%Cold waves12%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Palm River-Clair Mel faces

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

Hurricanes

36% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailHeat 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 Palm River-Clair Mel flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Palm River-Clair Mel, from FEMA’s records.

257paid claims since 1979

$12.9Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 65 claims, $6.3M
Hurricane Milton: 58 claims, $4.8M
Hurricane Josephine: 18 claims, $241K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hillsborough County.

Disasters that hit Palm River-Clair Mel

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Palm River-Clair Mel itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Palm River-Clair Mel.

Brought FEMA money into Palm River-Clair MelDeclared for Hillsborough County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Hillsborough County has had 41 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Palm River-Clair Mel

Palm River-Clair Mel and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Riverviewmostly inland floodingHigh

Progress Villagemostly inland floodingHigh

Brandonmostly hurricanesHigh

Tampamostly hurricanesHigh

Palm River-Clair Melmostly 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. Palm River-Clair Mel covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palm River-Clair Mel’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Palm River-Clair Mel. 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 Palm River-Clair Mel total about $7.7M 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.