Photo: User:Ruhrfisch · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Renovo’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Renovo gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). Flood insurance has paid 77 claims here since 1979.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Renovo’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Renovo 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
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.
What’s behind Renovo’s grade
River and rain flooding is 98% of the building damage FEMA expects in Renovo, and Renovo’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Renovo’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Renovo: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Renovo flood? Sometimes: 77 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Renovo, from FEMA’s records: 108.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan37 claims · $593K
Renovo is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Clinton County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Renovo
Disasters that paid out in Renovo itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Renovo), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan66 households applied for aid$183K aid approved37 flood claims paid for it, $593K
Clinton County has had 12 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 Renovo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Renovo archive →Renovo and its neighbors
Renovo has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renovo | D−more damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 77 |
| Chapman Township | — | not graded yet | |
| Noyes Township | — | 391 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 Renovo faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, 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.
- 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.
- Renovo residents get 10% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Renovo
Is Renovo at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Renovo has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Renovo flood?
Flood insurance has paid 77 claims in Renovo since 1979, $751K in all, or 108.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 11 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (37).
Is Renovo 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 Clinton County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Renovo?
Renovo is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8), which takes 10% 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 Renovo?
By FEMA money that reached Renovo, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 66 households applied for aid, $183K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 37 paid, $593K.
Is Renovo at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (98%), and Renovo’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Renovo.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Renovo’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.