Natural hazards · Onondaga

Onondaga, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Onondaga comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Onondaga?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Onondaga to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes9%Strong wind8%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Onondaga faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Onondaga flood?

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

33paid claims since 1978

$336Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Fred: 2 claims, $8K

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

Insurance rates: Onondaga County.

Disasters that hit Onondaga

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OnondagaDeclared for Onondaga County only

2011

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

$32K to the Town of Onondaga for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$14K to the Town of Onondaga for repairs

2003

Ice Storm

$107K to the Town of Onondaga for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Onondaga for repairs

Onondaga County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Onondaga

Onondaga and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Syracusemostly inland floodingLow

LaFayettemostly inland floodingLow

Camillusmostly inland floodingVery low

Marcellusmostly inland floodingVery low

Onondagamostly inland floodingVery low

Otiscomostly 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. Onondaga covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Onondaga’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Onondaga. 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 Onondaga total about $3.7M 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.