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Natural hazards · Kirkwood

Kirkwood, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kirkwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 198 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Kirkwood?

51
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kirkwood to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Kirkwood 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 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times 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 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 Kirkwood flood?

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

198paid claims since 1978
$8.3Mpaid to owners
26homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Tropical Storm Lee: 50 claims, $3.4M
  • Torrential rain: 12 claims, $158K
  • Not a named storm: 3 claims, $11K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Kirkwood

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KirkwoodDeclared for Broome County only
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

$988K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$44K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$17K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

189 households applied for aid $690K aid approved $657K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$56K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

344 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $1.3M to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $45K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

57 households applied for aid $121K aid approved $152K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2003

Snow

$19K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$29K to the Town of Kirkwood for repairs
Broome County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Kirkwood

Kirkwood and the towns around it

Conklin: High, mostly inland floodingWindsor: High, mostly inland floodingFenton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBinghamton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDickinson: Very low, mostly inland floodingColesville: High, mostly inland floodingBinghamton: Low, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Low, mostly inland floodingSanford: High, mostly inland floodingChenango: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreene: High, mostly inland floodingPort Dickinson: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarker: High, mostly inland floodingJohnson City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingUnion: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVestal: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAfton: Very high, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Very high, mostly inland floodingKirkwood: Moderate, mostly inland flooding KirkwoodConklinWindsorFentonBinghamtonDickinsonColesville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Conklinmostly inland floodingHigh
Colesvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Windsormostly inland floodingHigh
Fentonmostly inland floodingModerate
Kirkwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Binghamtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Dickinsonmostly 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. Kirkwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kirkwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kirkwood. 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 Kirkwood total about $2.2M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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