Natural hazards · Oswego

Oswego, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oswego comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oswego?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oswego to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Everything else24%

By hazard

What Oswego faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oswego flood?

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

10paid claims since 1979

$440Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

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

Insurance rates: Oswego County.

Disasters that hit Oswego

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OswegoDeclared for Oswego County only

2003

Ice Storm

410 households applied for aid $205K aid approved

Oswego County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Oswego

Oswego and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Minettomostly inland floodingLow

Oswegomostly inland floodingVery low

Scribamostly inland floodingVery low

Oswegomostly 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. Oswego covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oswego’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oswego. 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 Oswego total about $2.8M 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.