Natural hazards · Olean

Olean, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olean comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1981. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olean?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olean to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Tornadoes8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Olean faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% 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 Olean flood?

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

14paid claims since 1981

$215Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Olean isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cattaraugus County.

Disasters that hit Olean

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OleanDeclared for Cattaraugus County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $716 aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

99 households applied for aid $115K aid approved

Cattaraugus County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Olean

Olean and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alleganymostly inland floodingHigh

Oleanmostly inland floodingModerate

Oleanmostly 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. Olean covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olean’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olean. 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 Olean total about $4.1M 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.