Natural hazards · Meridian

Meridian, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Meridian comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1996. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Meridian?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Meridian to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Meridian 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 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Meridian flood?

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

3paid claims since 1996

$34Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 1 claim, $9K

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. Meridian isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cayuga County.

Disasters that hit Meridian

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MeridianDeclared for Cayuga County only

2003

Ice Storm

5 households applied for aid $848 aid approved

Cayuga County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

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. Meridian is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Meridian’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Meridian. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.