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Natural hazards · Sanford

Sanford, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sanford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1996. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Sanford?

78
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sanford to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding91%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Sanford faces

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

Inland flooding

91% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sanford flood?

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

13paid claims since 1996
$233Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • Tropical Storm Lee: 5 claims, $176K
  • Torrential rain: 1 claim, $16K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Sanford isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Broome County.
Disasters that hit Sanford

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SanfordDeclared for Broome County only
2024

Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby

$2.1M to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.0M to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$28K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$256K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$46K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$284K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$125K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$85K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$45K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2003

Snow

$7K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$22K to the Town of Sanford for repairs
Broome County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Sanford

Sanford and the towns around it

Deposit: Very high, mostly inland floodingWindsor: High, mostly inland floodingColesville: High, mostly inland floodingMasonville: High, mostly inland floodingAfton: Very high, mostly inland floodingTompkins: Very high, mostly inland floodingScott: Low, mostly inland floodingKirkwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFenton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Very high, mostly inland floodingGreene: High, mostly inland floodingSidney: High, mostly inland floodingBainbridge: High, mostly inland floodingSanford: High, mostly inland flooding SanfordDepositWindsorColesvilleMasonvilleAfton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Aftonmostly inland floodingVery high
Depositmostly inland floodingVery high
Sanfordmostly inland floodingHigh
Colesvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Windsormostly inland floodingHigh
Masonvillemostly inland floodingHigh
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. Sanford covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sanford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sanford. 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 Sanford total about $1.7M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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