Natural hazards · Clay

Clay, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 74 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clay?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clay to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Strong wind9%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Clay faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Clay flood?

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

74paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Heavy rains: 19 claims, $231K
Not a named storm: 6 claims, $31K
Central U.S. April Flooding: 4 claims, $77K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Powell County.

Disasters that hit Clay

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClayDeclared for Powell County only

2025

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

20 households applied for aid $77K aid approved

2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

9 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

78 households applied for aid $195K aid approved $45K to the City of Clay for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

45 households applied for aid $215K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$1K to the City of Clay for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

98 households applied for aid $200K aid approved $13K to the City of Clay for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and

31 households applied for aid $91K aid approved $10K to the City of Clay for repairs

Powell County has had 31 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. Clay 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 Clay’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clay. 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.