Natural hazards · Tompkins

Tompkins, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tompkins comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1981. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tompkins?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tompkins to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Tompkins faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 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 Tompkins flood?

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

3paid claims since 1981

$49Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $19K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Tompkins 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.

Disasters that hit Tompkins

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TompkinsDeclared for Delaware County only

2024

Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby

$53K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$19K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$42K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$15K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2011

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

$60K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$75K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved $3.2M to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$208K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$157K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$6K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2003

Snow

$11K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$18K to the Town of Tompkins for repairs

Delaware County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Tompkins

Tompkins and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hancockmostly inland floodingVery high

Waltonmostly inland floodingVery high

Tompkinsmostly inland floodingVery high

Depositmostly inland floodingVery high

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. Tompkins covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tompkins’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Tompkins. 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 Tompkins total about $1.8M 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.