193 flood insurance claims·$714,840 paid·8 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Allegany County, New York. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from severe weather events dominates the flood history of Allegany County, New York, accounting for the vast majority of recorded flood events over the last thirty years compared to standard riverine floods.
Recent occurrences illustrate this pattern, such as the slow-moving low pressure system on May 5, 2025, which brought steady rain and embedded thunderstorms that caused flash flooding in Allegany and Livingston counties, with the Town of Canaseraga experiencing the brunt of the impact. Another event on June 9, 2025, produced heavy rainfall from strong to severe thunderstorms developing along a cold front within a very moist atmosphere.
Homeowners and real estate agents should pay the most attention to properties located within FEMA Zone A, which has accumulated the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program claims at 123, with an average payout of $6,730 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Properties in shaded and unshaded Zone X, unknown zones, and areas experiencing lower claim frequencies also report historical water depths averaging 1 to 3 inches, indicating that flood risk extends beyond high-risk zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
25% of Allegany County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
164 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1996, with 79 claims and $323,324 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
84 NOAA storm reports from Allegany County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 8, 2024 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred | Aug 18, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 13, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 26, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 8, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
101 since 1996: 86 flash floods and 15 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 16, 2025. A shortwave trough and attendant surface cold front impinging on a weak shear, but very warm and moisture-laden atmosphere led to the development of showers and thunderstorms late in the day into the evening hours which produced isolated severe winds and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 9, 2025. Strong to severe thunderstorms developed along a cold front and within the warm sector of an approaching system. Favorable shear, along with forcing from the cold front helped to develop severe storms that also resulted in a confirmed tornado in the western Southern Tier. Additionally, a very moist atmosphere was present within the systems warm sector, helping to contribute to heavy rainfall with showers and thund…
Flash Flood · Jun 6, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms causing heavy rainfall developed along a stalled frontal boundary over northern Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and evening on June 6th. Training of heavier rain, along with antecedent conditions in the area, caused excessive runoff, resulting in flash flooding in portions of the western Southern Tier.
Flash Flood · May 5, 2025. A slow moving area of low pressure brought periods of steady rain to western New York. Embedded thunderstorms within the steadier rain caused heavier downpours at times during the evening on May 5th. Heavier rain, combined with the periods of steady rain resulted in Flash Flooding in Allegany and Livingston counties. The Town of Canaseraga experienced the brunt of the flooding.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Allegany County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.