Natural hazards · Cairo

Cairo, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cairo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1980. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Cairo?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cairo to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Hurricanes10%Tornadoes6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Cairo faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Cairo flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cairo, from FEMA’s records.

31paid claims since 1980

$560Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $452K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cairo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Greene County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Cairo

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Cairo itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Cairo.

Brought FEMA money into CairoDeclared for Greene County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

47 households applied for aid $100K aid approved $861K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$125K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$36K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$24K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$110K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid

2003

Snow

$11K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$30K to the Town of Cairo for repairs

Greene County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Cairo

Cairo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jewettmostly inland floodingHigh

Windhammostly inland floodingHigh

Huntermostly inland floodingHigh

Coxsackiemostly inland floodingModerate

Athensmostly inland floodingModerate

Cairomostly inland floodingModerate

Durhammostly inland floodingModerate

Catskillmostly inland floodingModerate

Greenvillemostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’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 here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Cairo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cairo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cairo. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Cairo total about $3.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.