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Thomas J. and Caroline McClure HouseThomas J. and Caroline McClure House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in McClure · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in McClure

McClure isn’t graded for hazard risk: McClure has 239 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 14 declared for Alexander County
By hazard

What McClure faces

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

River and rain flooding

73%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Strong wind top 2% Ice storms top 3% Hail Winter storms top 2% Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides top 4% Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

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 McClure flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in McClure. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

McClure isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Alexander County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to McClure

Disasters that paid out in McClure itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of McClure), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$8K to the Village of McClure for repairs
  2. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  3. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in McClureAlexander County only

Alexander County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of McClure after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the McClure archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what McClure faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in McClure

Is McClure 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 Alexander County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in McClure?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for McClure’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in McClure?

By FEMA money that reached McClure, Severe Storms and Flooding (2019): $8K to the Village of McClure for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McClure.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where McClure’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.