Clarion is calmer than 98% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clarion comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Clarion’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Clarion?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 2% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 2,504 of the 2,558 Pennsylvania towns we cover.
Clarion covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Does Clarion flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Clarion, from FEMA’s records.
Clarion isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clarion County.What Clarion faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Lightning
Cold waves
Strong wind
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Clarion
Disasters that paid out in Clarion itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Clarion) and its biggest flood years.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan5 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
Clarion County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.
Old photos of Clarion after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Clarion archive →Get ready for what Clarion actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- When thunder roars, go indoors.
- Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.
- Unplug electronics before the storm.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Clarion and its neighbors
How storm and flood risk compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | Very low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Clarion | Very low | inland flooding | 1 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in June–August
The month each of Clarion County’s 12 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Clarion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Clarion.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Clarion, expected losses total about $733K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Clarion.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.