Natural hazards · Clarence

Clarence, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clarence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clarence?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clarence to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding42%Drought17%Tornadoes13%Strong wind13%Hail6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Clarence faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

17% of expected damage

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

13% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Clarence flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Clarence.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cedar County.

Disasters that hit Clarence

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClarenceDeclared for Cedar County only

2020

Severe Storms

36 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $65K to the City of Clarence for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$1K to the City of Clarence for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$7K to the City of Clarence for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$2K to the City of Clarence for repairs

Cedar County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Clarence 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 Clarence’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clarence. 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.