Natural hazards · Clayton

Clayton, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clayton comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 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 Clayton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clayton to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and heat waves.

Earthquakes30%Heat waves29%Inland flooding24%Hail7%Everything else11%

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.

Earthquakes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Heat waves

29% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

23paid claims since 1978

$270Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 9 claims, $136K
Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $28K
Late July Flooding: 3 claims, $54K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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: St. Louis County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

12flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Clayton

7 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 St. Louis County only

2025

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

8 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $2.6M to the City of Clayton for repairs

2025

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

1 household applied for aid

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $39K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2015

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

1 household applied for aid

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

7 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$52K to the City of Clayton for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$54K to the City of Clayton for repairs

St. Louis County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Clayton

Clayton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Louismostly heat wavesHigh

University Citymostly heat wavesHigh

Laduemostly inland floodingHigh

Richmond Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh

Claytonmostly earthquakesModerate

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 covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

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.

FEMA’s expected losses across Clayton total about $16.0M 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.