Byron is calmer than 94% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Byron comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Byron’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Byron?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 6% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 1,449 of the 1,524 New York towns we cover.
Byron covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Does Byron flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Byron, from FEMA’s records.
Byron isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Genesee County.What Byron faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Lightning
Strong wind
Drought
Cold waves
3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Byron
Disasters that paid out in Byron itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Byron) and its biggest flood years.
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding9 households applied for aid$3K aid approved$9K to the Town of Byron for repairs
- 2001Snow$6K to the Town of Byron for repairs
- 1999Snow$4K to the Town of Byron for repairs
Genesee County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Old photos of Byron after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Byron archive →Get ready for what Byron actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, 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.
- When thunder roars, go indoors.
- Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.
- Unplug electronics before the storm.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
Byron and its neighbors
Byron ranks 2nd calmest of 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in October–December
The month each of Genesee County’s 18 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Byron’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Byron.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Byron, expected losses total about $1.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Byron.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.