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Natural hazards · Jamestown

Jamestown, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jamestown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Jamestown?

69
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jamestown to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Jamestown 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 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Jamestown flood?

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

14paid claims since 1978
$24Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Jamestown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chautauqua County.
Disasters that hit Jamestown

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JamestownDeclared for Chautauqua County only
2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$26K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$30K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

30 households applied for aid $35K aid approved $85K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2001

Snow

$35K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
2000

Snow

$40K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
1999

Snow

$58K to the City of Jamestown for repairs
Chautauqua County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Around Jamestown

Jamestown and the towns around it

Ellicott: High, mostly inland floodingKiantone: High, mostly inland floodingCeloron: Low, mostly inland floodingBusti: Low, mostly inland floodingGerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPoland: High, mostly inland floodingEllery: High, mostly inland floodingLakewood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCarroll: High, mostly inland floodingHarmony: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Harmony: High, mostly inland floodingSugar Grove: High, mostly inland floodingJamestown: High, mostly inland flooding JamestownEllicottKiantoneCeloronBusti
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Jamestownmostly inland floodingHigh
Ellicottmostly inland floodingHigh
Kiantonemostly inland floodingHigh
Bustimostly inland floodingLow
Celoronmostly 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. Jamestown covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Jamestown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Jamestown. 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 Jamestown total about $10.5M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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