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Natural hazards · Utica

Utica, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Utica comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 44 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Utica?

12
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Utica to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Cold waves14%Tornadoes7%Strong wind6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Utica faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Utica flood?

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

44paid claims since 1979
$509Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Gloria: 2 claims, $3K
  • Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $8K
  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $12K

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. Utica 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 Utica

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UticaDeclared for Oneida County only
2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$777K to the City of Utica for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$102K to the City of Utica for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$48K to the City of Utica for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

64 households applied for aid $104K aid approved $183K to the City of Utica for repairs
2011

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

$510K to the City of Utica for repairs
2007

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$51K to the City of Utica for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

68 households applied for aid $49K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2004

Snow

$53K to the City of Utica for repairs
2003

Ice Storm

37 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $24K to the City of Utica for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$78K to the City of Utica for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$441K to the City of Utica for repairs
Oneida County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Around Utica

Utica and the towns around it

New Hartford: Low, mostly inland floodingMarcy: Very low, mostly inland floodingFrankfort: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew Hartford: Low, mostly inland floodingWhitestown: Low, mostly inland floodingNew York Mills: Very low, mostly inland floodingYorkville: Low, mostly inland floodingSchuyler: Very low, mostly inland floodingParis: Very low, mostly inland floodingKirkland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLitchfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTrenton: Low, mostly inland floodingFloyd: Very low, mostly inland floodingFrankfort: High, mostly inland floodingHerkimer: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGerman Flatts: High, mostly inland floodingIlion: High, mostly inland floodingRussia: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestmoreland: Very low, mostly inland floodingRome: Very low, mostly inland floodingWhitesboro: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewport: Moderate, mostly inland floodingUtica: Very low, mostly inland flooding UticaNew HartfordMarcyFrankfortDeerfieldNew HartfordWhitestownNew York MillsYorkvilleSchuyler
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Frankfortmostly inland floodingModerate
Yorkvillemostly inland floodingLow
New Hartfordmostly inland floodingLow
Whitestownmostly inland floodingLow
New Hartfordmostly inland floodingLow
New York Millsmostly inland floodingVery low
Uticamostly inland floodingVery low
Schuylermostly inland floodingVery low
Deerfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Marcymostly 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. Utica covers 26 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Utica’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Utica. 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 Utica total about $10.3M 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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