Natural hazards · Clay Center

Clay Center, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clay Center comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clay Center?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clay Center to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes21%Heat waves10%Strong wind8%Ice storms7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Clay Center faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 59 years in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Clay Center flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Clay County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Clay Center

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Clay CenterDeclared for Clay County only

2021

Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds

$15K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2019

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

$23K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2015

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

$10K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2011

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

$64K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$9K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$188K to the City of Clay Center for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

Clay County has had 14 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. Clay Center covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clay Center’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clay Center. 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 Clay Center total about $2.5M 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.