Natural hazards · Sylvan Beach

Sylvan Beach, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sylvan Beach comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sylvan Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sylvan Beach to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding89%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Sylvan Beach faces

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

Inland flooding

89% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Sylvan Beach flood?

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

41paid claims since 1979

$598Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $24K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Oneida County.

Disasters that hit Sylvan Beach

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sylvan BeachDeclared for Oneida County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2011

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

$18K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2007

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$6K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2004

Snow

$5K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2003

Ice Storm

$15K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$3K to the Village of Sylvan Beach for repairs

Oneida County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

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. Sylvan Beach is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sylvan Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Sylvan Beach. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.