Natural hazards · Sheldon

Sheldon, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sheldon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1998. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sheldon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sheldon to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Everything else28%

By hazard

What Sheldon faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year 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 Sheldon flood?

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

2paid claims since 1998

$16Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wyoming County.

Disasters that hit Sheldon

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SheldonDeclared for Wyoming County only

2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$18K to the Town of Sheldon for repairs

2001

Snow

$13K to the Town of Sheldon for repairs

1999

Snow

$7K to the Town of Sheldon for repairs

Wyoming County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Sheldon

Sheldon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Walesmostly inland floodingModerate

Benningtonmostly inland floodingLow

Sheldonmostly inland floodingLow

Orangevillemostly inland floodingLow

Javamostly 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. Sheldon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sheldon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sheldon. 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 Sheldon total about $1.1M 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.