Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Clarkton
Clarkton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Clarkton has 958 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1982.
What Clarkton faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Ice storms
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 Clarkton flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Clarkton, from FEMA’s records.
Clarkton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Dunklin County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Clarkton
Disasters that paid out in Clarkton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Clarkton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
- 2009Severe Winter Storm$33K to the City of Clarkton for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado$12K to the City of Clarkton for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$16K aid approved
Dunklin County has had 16 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.
Old photos of Clarkton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Clarkton archive →Clarkton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn Township | Dmore damage than 88% | earthquakes | — |
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 Clarkton faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- 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.
Questions about natural hazards in Clarkton
Does Clarkton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Clarkton since 1982, $201 in all.
Is Clarkton 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 Dunklin County, 1.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Clarkton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Clarkton’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 Clarkton?
By FEMA money that reached Clarkton, Severe Winter Storm (2009): $33K to the City of Clarkton for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Clarkton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Clarkton’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.