Natural hazards · Penfield

Penfield, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Penfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1982. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Penfield?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Penfield to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Cold waves10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Penfield faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Penfield flood?

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

21paid claims since 1982

$447Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19822026

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

Insurance rates: Monroe County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Penfield

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PenfieldDeclared for Monroe County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2003

Ice Storm

92 households applied for aid $81K aid approved $221K to the Town of Penfield for repairs

1999

Snow

$35K to the Town of Penfield for repairs

Monroe County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Penfield

Penfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Irondequoitmostly inland floodingLow

Penfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Brightonmostly inland floodingLow

Walworthmostly inland floodingVery low

Webstermostly inland floodingVery low

Perintonmostly 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. Penfield covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Penfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Penfield. 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 Penfield total about $10.0M 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.