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Natural hazards · Sidney

Sidney, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sidney comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 331 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Sidney?

58
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sidney to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Cold waves5%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Sidney faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sidney flood?

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

331paid claims since 1979
$15.8Mpaid to owners
91homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Tropical Storm Lee: 180 claims, $9.0M
  • Hurricane Gloria: 3 claims, $9K
  • Torrential rain: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

175flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
21homes raised above flood level
14buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Sidney

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SidneyDeclared for Delaware County only
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$10K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

365 households applied for aid $950K aid approved $465K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

34 households applied for aid $27K aid approved
2011

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

$28K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

524 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $4.5M to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $204K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$31K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2003

Snow

$6K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$17K to the Village of Sidney for repairs
Delaware County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Sidney

Sidney and the towns around it

Sidney: High, mostly inland floodingUnadilla: High, mostly inland floodingBainbridge: High, mostly inland floodingOtego: Very high, mostly inland floodingUnadilla: High, mostly inland floodingMasonville: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: High, mostly inland floodingWalton: Very high, mostly inland floodingGuilford: High, mostly inland floodingButternuts: High, mostly inland floodingAfton: Very high, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Very high, mostly inland floodingSidney: Moderate, mostly inland flooding SidneySidneyUnadillaBainbridge
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Unadillamostly inland floodingHigh
Bainbridgemostly inland floodingHigh
Sidneymostly inland floodingHigh
Sidneymostly 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. Sidney covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sidney’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Sidney. 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 Sidney total about $2.3M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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