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Natural hazards · Union

Union, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Union comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 495 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 Union?

52
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Union to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Tornadoes8%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Union faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Union flood?

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

495paid claims since 1979
$23.1Mpaid to owners
66homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Tropical Storm Lee: 225 claims, $16.8M
  • Torrential rain: 34 claims, $907K
  • Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $327K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (17) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Union is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Broome County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Union

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UnionDeclared for Broome County only
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

$210K to the Town of Union for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$79K to the Town of Union for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

$2.4M to the Town of Union for repairs
2011

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

$91K to the Town of Union for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$904K to the Town of Union for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$149K to the Town of Union for repairs
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$24K to the Town of Union for repairs
2003

Snow

$18K to the Town of Union for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$62K to the Town of Union for repairs
Broome County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Union

Union and the towns around it

Vestal: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJohnson City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDickinson: Very low, mostly inland floodingMaine: High, mostly inland floodingBinghamton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOwego: High, mostly inland floodingChenango: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEndicott: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBinghamton: Low, mostly inland floodingPort Dickinson: Very low, mostly inland floodingFenton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKirkwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewark Valley: High, mostly inland floodingNanticoke: High, mostly inland floodingBarker: High, mostly inland floodingConklin: High, mostly inland floodingTioga: High, mostly inland floodingCandor: High, mostly inland floodingOwego: Very high, mostly inland floodingNichols: High, mostly inland floodingWarren: High, mostly inland floodingUnion: Moderate, mostly inland flooding UnionVestalJohnson CityDickinsonMaineBinghamtonOwegoChenangoEndicott
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Mainemostly inland floodingHigh
Owegomostly inland floodingHigh
Chenangomostly inland floodingModerate
Johnson Citymostly inland floodingModerate
Unionmostly inland floodingModerate
Binghamtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Endicottmostly inland floodingModerate
Vestalmostly inland floodingModerate
Dickinsonmostly 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. Union covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Union’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Union. 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 Union total about $15.3M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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