Natural hazards · Clay

Clay, NY 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 53 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Strong wind6%Tornadoes5%Everything else15%

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

74% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Clay flood?

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

53paid claims since 1978

$566Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

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. 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: Onondaga County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Clay

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClayDeclared for Onondaga County only

2003

Ice Storm

31 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $130K to the Town of Clay for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Clay for repairs

Onondaga County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Clay

Clay and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Schroeppelmostly inland floodingHigh

Hastingsmostly inland floodingModerate

Lysandermostly inland floodingLow

Ciceromostly inland floodingLow

Claymostly inland floodingLow

Salinamostly inland floodingVery low

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 15 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 Town 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 $10.8M 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.