Natural hazards · Clifton

Clifton, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clifton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 2008.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clifton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clifton to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding50%Cold waves28%Tornadoes8%Hail5%Strong wind5%Everything else4%

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

50% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Clifton flood?

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

13paid claims since 2008

$222Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 5 claims, $28K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

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: Monroe County.

Disasters that hit Clifton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Clifton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CliftonDeclared for Monroe County only

Monroe County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Clifton

Clifton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wiltonmostly inland floodingHigh

Cliftonmostly inland floodingHigh

Fountainmostly inland floodingHigh

Glendalemostly inland floodingHigh

Oakdalemostly inland floodingHigh

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 (here, the census tracts inside it); 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 $3.6M 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.