Natural hazards · Chemung

Chemung, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chemung comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chemung?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding85%Tornadoes6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Chemung faces

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

Inland flooding

85% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 38 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Chemung flood?

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

8paid claims since 1978

$51Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 2 claims, $13K

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Chemung is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Chemung County.

Disasters that hit Chemung

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChemungDeclared for Chemung County only

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $196K to the Town of Chemung for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$18K to the Town of Chemung for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $17K to the Town of Chemung for repairs

Chemung County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Chemung

Chemung and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ashlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Bartonmostly inland floodingHigh

Waverlymostly inland floodingModerate

Chemungmostly inland floodingModerate

Baldwinmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Chemung is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.