Storms, floods and disasters in Cloud Lake
Cloud Lake isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cloud Lake has 212 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1982.
What Cloud Lake faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Cloud Lake flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cloud Lake, from FEMA’s records.
Cloud Lake is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Palm Beach County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cloud Lake
Disasters that paid out in Cloud Lake itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Cloud Lake), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Hurricane Irma3 households applied for aid$15K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Wilma1 households applied for aid$836 aid approved$10K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs
- 2004Hurricane Jeanne$12K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs
- 2004Hurricane Frances$19K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs
- 1999Fl-hurricane Irene-dr-req$2K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs
Palm Beach County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Palm Beach County, 1999–1999.
Old photos of Cloud Lake after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cloud Lake archive →Cloud Lake and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Ridge | — | 289 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Cloud Lake faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cloud Lake residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Cloud Lake
Does Cloud Lake flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Cloud Lake since 1982, $20K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Cloud Lake in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Palm Beach County, 43% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 13.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Cloud Lake?
Cloud Lake is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Cloud Lake?
By FEMA money that reached Cloud Lake, Hurricane Frances (2004): $19K to the Town of Cloud Lake for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cloud Lake.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cloud Lake’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.