TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
HowardGood afternoon
Natural hazards · Howard

Howard, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Howard?

44
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howard to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Howard faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times 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 Howard flood?

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

11paid claims since 1993
$86Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19932026
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Howard isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Steuben County.
Disasters that hit Howard

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowardDeclared for Steuben County only
2024

Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby

$610K to the Town of Howard for repairs
2021

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

$575K to the Town of Howard for repairs
2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Howard for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$72K to the Town of Howard for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$67K to the Town of Howard for repairs
Steuben County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Howard

Howard and the towns around it

Fremont: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCanisteo: High, mostly inland floodingAvoca: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHornellsville: High, mostly inland floodingBath: Low, mostly inland floodingCohocton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDansville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWayland: Low, mostly inland floodingHartsville: High, mostly inland floodingCameron: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheeler: Low, mostly inland floodingAlmond: High, mostly inland floodingBurns: High, mostly inland floodingUrbana: High, mostly inland floodingBradford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPrattsburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingNaples: High, mostly inland floodingHoward: Moderate, mostly inland flooding HowardFremontCanisteoAvocaHornellsvilleBathCohocton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Canisteomostly inland floodingHigh
Hornellsvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Fremontmostly inland floodingModerate
Cohoctonmostly inland floodingModerate
Howardmostly inland floodingModerate
Avocamostly inland floodingModerate
Bathmostly 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. Howard covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Howard’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Howard. 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 Howard total about $1.1M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Howard, NYSteuben CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Howard is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map