1,558 flood insurance claims·$60.4M paid·7 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 Tioga 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 slow-moving summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Tioga County, NY, accounting for 60 recorded events compared to 31 general flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall from these storms routinely causes flooded roads along with washouts of culverts and small bridges, as documented during flash flood events in July 2025.
Federal insurance claims data demonstrates that flood risks extend across multiple zones. Zone A carries the heaviest burden, with 1,235 historical claims averaging $42,580 in payouts and an average recorded water depth of 28 inches. However, properties outside high-risk areas also experience significant impacts. For example, 121 claims in Zone X_SHADED recorded an average water depth of 25 inches with average payouts of $68,629, while Zone X properties recorded 93 claims with an average water depth of 14 inches and average payouts of $42,022. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 57 claims with an average water depth of 8 inches and average payouts of $30,838, and unknown zones recorded 52 claims with an average water depth of 20 inches and average payouts of $8,672.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties in Zone A due to the high volume of claims and deep water averages, while remaining aware that moderate and low-risk zones also experience damaging water depths and substantial payouts.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
13% of Tioga County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,413 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 26 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 2011, with 716 claims and $45.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds and Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee.
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.
51 NOAA storm reports from Tioga County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
27 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred | Aug 18, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Oct 31, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 7, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Nov 16, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
91 since 1996: 60 flash floods and 31 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2025 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2025 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Dec 25, 2020 | $20,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 14, 2025. A weak frontal system moving through a warm and excessively moist environment triggered thunderstorms with torrential rainfall. These storms were slow moving and produced copious amounts of rain which led to localized flash flooding of roads, small streams and a few residences.
Flash Flood · Jul 13, 2025. A warm and unstable environment ahead of an approaching cold front supported the development of scattered thunderstorms. Weak steering winds contributed to slow moving storms repeating over the same areas which contributed to areas of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Several locations around central New York reported flooded roads along with washouts of culverts and small bridges.
Flood · Apr 30, 2020. Heavy rainfall from an approaching weather system persisted for several hours. A locally enhanced line of thunderstorm activity triggered rapid and enhanced flooding in a few locations.
Flood · Dec 25, 2020. A complex storm system moved from the Lower Mississippi valley to lower Ontario during this time period. Warm and moist air surged northward from the Gulf of Mexico bringing rain and temperatures in the lower 50s. Rainfall on the order of 2 to 4 inches accompanied the storm system. The warmer air and windy conditions rapidly melted a substantial snowpack of 20 to 30 inches in the region. This, coupled with the hea…
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 Tioga 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.