Natural hazards · Clayton

Clayton, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clayton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1996. 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 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes18%Heat waves6%Everything else19%

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.

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Clayton flood?

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

6paid claims since 1996

$55Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 1 claim, $1K
Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $6K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $3K

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: Johnston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-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 Town of Clayton.

Brought FEMA money into ClaytonDeclared for Johnston County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

84 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $73K to the Town of Clayton for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

167 households applied for aid $58K aid approved $241K to the Town of Clayton for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

5 households applied for aid

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid

2003

Hurricane Isabel

16 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$3K to the Town of Clayton for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$50K to the Town of Clayton for repairs

Johnston County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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 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 Clayton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Clayton. 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.