Natural hazards · Dryden

Dryden, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dryden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1981. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dryden?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dryden to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding90%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Dryden faces

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

Inland flooding

90% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Dryden flood?

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

9paid claims since 1981

$93Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Tompkins County.

Disasters that hit Dryden

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DrydenDeclared for Tompkins County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$33K to the Town of Dryden for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Dryden for repairs

Tompkins County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Dryden

Dryden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carolinemostly inland floodingHigh

Drydenmostly inland floodingHigh

Grotonmostly inland floodingModerate

Virgilmostly inland floodingModerate

Ithacamostly inland floodingModerate

Lansingmostly inland floodingLow

Lansingmostly 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. Dryden covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dryden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dryden. 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 Dryden total about $6.9M 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.