Natural hazards · Waterloo

Waterloo, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waterloo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1993. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waterloo?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waterloo to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Waterloo 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 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Waterloo flood?

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

1paid claims since 1993

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Seneca County.

Disasters that hit Waterloo

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaterlooDeclared for Seneca County only

2003

Ice Storm

$9K to the Town of Waterloo for repairs

Seneca County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Waterloo

Waterloo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Waterloomostly inland floodingModerate

Fayettemostly inland floodingModerate

Waterloomostly inland floodingModerate

Seneca Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Juniusmostly 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. Waterloo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waterloo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Waterloo. 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 Waterloo total about $2.1M 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.