Natural hazards · Seneca Falls

Seneca Falls, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seneca Falls comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Seneca Falls?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seneca Falls to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding83%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Seneca Falls faces

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

Inland flooding

83% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Seneca Falls flood?

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

22paid claims since 1979

$149Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Seneca County.

Disasters that hit Seneca Falls

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Seneca FallsDeclared for Seneca County only

2003

Ice Storm

4 households applied for aid $2K to the Town of Seneca Falls for repairs

Seneca County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Seneca Falls

Seneca Falls and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Waterloomostly inland floodingModerate

Fayettemostly inland floodingModerate

Waterloomostly inland floodingModerate

Seneca Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Springportmostly inland floodingLow

Aureliusmostly inland floodingLow

Cayugamostly inland floodingLow

Tyremostly 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. Seneca Falls covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seneca Falls’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Seneca Falls. 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 Seneca Falls total about $2.7M 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.