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Natural hazards · Cheektowaga

Cheektowaga, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cheektowaga comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 127 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Cheektowaga?

37
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cheektowaga to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding65%Cold waves24%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Cheektowaga faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cheektowaga flood?

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

127paid claims since 1978
$1.1Mpaid to owners
9homes flooded more than once
19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Cheektowaga isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Erie County.
Disasters that hit Cheektowaga

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CheektowagaDeclared for Erie County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$1.2M to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$980K to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,083 households applied for aid $567K aid approved $1.5M to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storm

$322K to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
2000

Snow

$166K to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
1999

Snow

$57K to the Town of Cheektowaga for repairs
Erie County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Around Cheektowaga

Cheektowaga and the towns around it

West Seneca: High, mostly inland floodingAmherst: Low, mostly inland floodingBuffalo: High, mostly inland floodingSloan: Very high, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilliamsville: Low, mostly inland floodingLackawanna: High, mostly inland floodingOrchard Park: Low, mostly inland floodingElma: Low, mostly inland floodingPendleton: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Tonawanda: High, mostly inland floodingTonawanda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheatfield: High, mostly inland floodingClarence: Low, mostly inland floodingAlden: Very low, mostly inland floodingCheektowaga: Low, mostly inland flooding CheektowagaWest SenecaAmherstBuffaloSloanLancasterWilliamsville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sloanmostly inland floodingVery high
West Senecamostly inland floodingHigh
Buffalomostly inland floodingHigh
Amherstmostly inland floodingLow
Cheektowagamostly inland floodingLow
Williamsvillemostly inland floodingLow
Lancastermostly inland floodingVery low
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. Cheektowaga covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cheektowaga’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cheektowaga. 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 Cheektowaga total about $22.8M 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.

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