Chenango County flood history
New York · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 632 flood insurance claims in Chenango County, New York since 1978. The NFIP paid $11.4 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2011, with 228, mostly from Tropical Storm Lee.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 17 claims, and the average paid claim was $13,316.
29% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 1.4% of homes in Chenango County, New York had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (331 of 24,080 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 20% (298 of 1,500).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 11 flood-related disaster declarations covering Chenango County, New York. The most recent was DR-4825-NY (Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby), declared September 24, 2024.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | $76,554 |
| 2024 | 1 | $24,786 |
| 2023 | 2 | $16,937 |
| 2020 | 1 | $0 |
| 2019 | 7 | $42,708 |
| 2018 | 2 | $11,305 |
| 2017 | 1 | $812 |
| 2015 | 3 | $4,438 |
| 2014 | 3 | $0 |
| 2013 | 15 | $204,375 |
| 2012 | 3 | $1,000 |
| 2011 | 228 | $5.5 million |
| 2008 | 1 | $4,309 |
| 2007 | 2 | $3,062 |
| 2006 | 215 | $4.6 million |
| 2005 | 62 | $674,622 |
| 2004 | 2 | $14,358 |
| 2001 | 4 | $0 |
| 2000 | 2 | $4,981 |
| 1999 | 1 | $1,208 |
| 1998 | 3 | $0 |
| 1996 | 7 | $47,214 |
| 1994 | 1 | $1,434 |
| 1993 | 7 | $8,199 |
| 1986 | 3 | $10,218 |
| 1983 | 3 | $11,971 |
| 1982 | 1 | $0 |
| 1981 | 11 | $7,010 |
| 1980 | 3 | $1,924 |
| 1979 | 29 | $16,798 |
| 1978 | 6 | $8,066 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee | 2011 | 194 | $4.9 million |
| Torrential rain | 2005 | 60 | $668,980 |
| Flooding | 1996 | 7 | $47,214 |
| Hurricane Debby | 2024 | 1 | $24,786 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011 | 7 | $21,511 |
| December Nor'easter | 2023 | 1 | $16,937 |
| Flooding | 1981 | 11 | $7,010 |
| Not a named storm | 1980 | 1 | $1,924 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 331 residential NFIP policies in Chenango County, against 24,080 residential buildings (1.4%). Of the 1,500 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 298 have an NFIP policy (20%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4825-NY | Sep 24, 2024 | Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby | No |
| DR-4472-NY | Dec 19, 2019 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4397-NY | Oct 1, 2018 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-4129-NY | Jul 12, 2013 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1993-NY | Jun 10, 2011 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | No |
| DR-1857-NY | Sep 1, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1670-NY | Dec 12, 2006 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1650-NY | Jul 1, 2006 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1589-NY | Apr 19, 2005 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1534-NY | Aug 3, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1335-NY | Jul 21, 2000 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of New York.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.