Natural hazards · Virgil

Virgil, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Virgil comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1981. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Virgil?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Virgil to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Virgil faces

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

Inland flooding

84% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% 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 Virgil flood?

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

5paid claims since 1981

$524Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cortland County.

Disasters that hit Virgil

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VirgilDeclared for Cortland County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Town of Virgil for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$32K to the Town of Virgil for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$133K to the Town of Virgil for repairs

Cortland County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Virgil

Virgil and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Drydenmostly inland floodingHigh

Freetownmostly inland floodingHigh

Virgilmostly inland floodingModerate

Harfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Lapeermostly inland floodingModerate

Cortlandvillemostly 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. Virgil 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 Virgil’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Virgil. 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.