Natural hazards · Palmyra

Palmyra, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmyra comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1992. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palmyra?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palmyra to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Strong wind5%Tornadoes5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Palmyra faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Palmyra flood?

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

3paid claims since 1992

$49Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

December Storm - Nor'easter: 1 claim, $583
Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $44K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wayne County.

Disasters that hit Palmyra

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalmyraDeclared for Wayne County only

2003

Ice Storm

$52K to the Town of Palmyra for repairs

1999

Snow

$10K to the Town of Palmyra for repairs

Wayne County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Palmyra

Palmyra and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Manchestermostly inland floodingLow

Palmyramostly inland floodingVery low

Arcadiamostly inland floodingVery low

Marionmostly inland floodingVery low

Macedonmostly inland floodingVery low

Palmyramostly 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. Palmyra covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palmyra’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Palmyra. 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 Palmyra total about $1.2M 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.