Natural hazards · Clifton

Clifton, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clifton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clifton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clifton to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Cold waves10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Clifton faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Clifton flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Clifton.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Clifton 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. Lawrence County.

Disasters that hit Clifton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CliftonDeclared for St. Lawrence County only

2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Clifton for repairs

St. Lawrence County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Clifton

Clifton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cliftonmostly inland floodingModerate

Finemostly inland floodingModerate

Cranberry Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Claremostly inland floodingModerate

Coltonmostly 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. Clifton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clifton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Clifton. 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 Clifton total about $1.2M 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.