Natural hazards · Penn Yan

Penn Yan, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Penn Yan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Penn Yan?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Penn Yan to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Drought8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Penn Yan 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

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Penn Yan flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978

$209Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Yates County.

Disasters that hit Penn Yan

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Penn Yan itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Village of Penn Yan.

Brought FEMA money into Penn YanDeclared for Yates County only

2024

Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby

$4K to the Village of Penn Yan for repairs

2021

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

$12K to the Village of Penn Yan for repairs

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.1M to the Village of Penn Yan for repairs

2011

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

$63K to the Village of Penn Yan for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

2003

Ice Storm

$4K to the Village of Penn Yan for repairs

Yates County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Penn Yan

Penn Yan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Milomostly inland floodingHigh

Jerusalemmostly inland floodingHigh

Penn Yanmostly inland floodingModerate

Bentonmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Penn Yan is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Penn Yan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Penn Yan. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.