Natural hazards · Groton

Groton, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Groton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Groton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Groton to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Groton 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 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Groton flood?

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

5paid claims since 1979

$24Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 2 claims, $14K

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Groton 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 Groton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Tompkins County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Groton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into GrotonDeclared for Tompkins County only

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

Around Groton

Groton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Summerhillmostly inland floodingHigh

Lockemostly inland floodingHigh

Drydenmostly inland floodingHigh

Grotonmostly inland floodingModerate

Cortlandvillemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Groton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Groton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Groton. 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 Groton total about $1.4M 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.