Natural hazards · Clearwater

Clearwater, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clearwater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1998. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clearwater?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clearwater to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding33%Tornadoes23%Cold waves23%Heat waves9%Hail6%Everything else7%

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.

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 98 years in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Clearwater flood?

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

4paid claims since 1998

$62Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sedgwick County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Clearwater

2 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 Sedgwick County only

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the City of Clearwater for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$8K to the City of Clearwater for repairs

Sedgwick 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. Clearwater covers 1 census tract, 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 $1.2M 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.