Natural hazards · Rochester

Rochester, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rochester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 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 Rochester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rochester to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Cold waves13%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Rochester 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

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% 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 windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rochester flood?

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

18paid claims since 1978

$77Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 1 claim, $6K

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. Rochester 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

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rochester

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RochesterDeclared for Monroe County only

2017

Flooding

$5K to the City of Rochester for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

7,252 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $3K to the City of Rochester for repairs

2003

Ice Storm

16,369 households applied for aid $22.7M aid approved $316K to the City of Rochester for repairs

1999

Snow

$492K to the City of Rochester for repairs

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

Around Rochester

Rochester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingLow

Irondequoitmostly inland floodingLow

Brightonmostly inland floodingLow

Chilimostly inland floodingVery low

Gatesmostly inland floodingVery low

Greecemostly 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. Rochester covers 83 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rochester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rochester. 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 Rochester total about $43.5M 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.