Natural hazards · Clayton

Clayton, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clayton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1997. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clayton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clayton to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes10%Cold waves8%Hail7%Everything else10%

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

65% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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.

4paid claims since 1997

$36Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 1 claim, $3K

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: Clayton County.

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 Clayton County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$30K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$4K to the City of Clayton for repairs

1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$6K to the City of Clayton for repairs

Clayton County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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.