Natural hazards · Clay

Clay, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 387 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clay?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clay to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding63%Cold waves17%Tornadoes11%Everything else9%

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

63% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

387paid claims since 1979

$2.0Mpaid to owners

18homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ 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: St. Clair County.

Disasters that hit Clay

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for St. Clair County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Clay itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into ClayDeclared for St. Clair County only

St. Clair County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Clay

Clay and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Claymostly inland floodingLow

Iramostly inland floodingLow

Cottrellvillemostly inland floodingLow

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 covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

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 Township of Clay. 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 total about $3.1M 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.