Natural hazards · Gowanda

Gowanda, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gowanda comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 118 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gowanda?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gowanda to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Cold waves8%Tornadoes5%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Gowanda faces

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

Inland flooding

84% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Gowanda flood?

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

118paid claims since 1979

$2.3Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 70 claims, $2.0M

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. Gowanda 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Gowanda

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GowandaDeclared for Erie County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

416 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

Erie County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Gowanda

Gowanda and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Persiamostly inland floodingHigh

Perrysburgmostly inland floodingHigh

Gowandamostly inland floodingHigh

Collinsmostly 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. Gowanda covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gowanda’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Gowanda. 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 Gowanda total about $596K 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.