Natural hazards · Gates

Gates, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gates comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gates?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gates to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves15%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Gates faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gates flood?

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

25paid claims since 1980

$112Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 1 claim, $2K
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $3K

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. Gates isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Monroe County.

Disasters that hit Gates

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GatesDeclared for Monroe County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Town of Gates for repairs

2003

Ice Storm

$80K to the Town of Gates for repairs

1999

Snow

$34K to the Town of Gates for repairs

Monroe County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Gates

Gates and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingLow

Gatesmostly inland floodingVery low

Chilimostly inland floodingVery low

Ogdenmostly inland floodingVery low

Greecemostly 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. Gates covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gates’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gates. 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 Gates total about $5.1M 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.