Natural hazards · York

York, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in York comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is York?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in York to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes7%Drought7%Cold waves5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What York faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 York flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $2K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Livingston County.

Disasters that hit York

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into YorkDeclared for Livingston County only

2003

Ice Storm

$4K to the Town of York for repairs

1999

Snow

$5K to the Town of York for repairs

Livingston County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around York

York and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Leicestermostly inland floodingModerate

Covingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Pavilionmostly inland floodingVery low

Geneseomostly inland floodingVery low

Avonmostly inland floodingVery low

Caledoniamostly inland floodingVery low

Geneseomostly inland floodingVery low

Yorkmostly 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. York covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to York’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of York. 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 York total about $1.1M 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.