290 flood insurance claims·$1.9M paid·5 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 Tompkins 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Tompkins County, NY, accounting for 30 out of 37 recorded flood events in the last 30 years alongside 7 general flood events. Recent events illustrate this pattern, such as the June 18, 2025 flash flood when slow-moving thunderstorms produced up to 3 inches of rain within a 1-to-2-hour span, leading to minor street and poor drainage flooding. Similarly, the December 18, 2023 event brought 2 to 4 inches of rain combined with melting snow, resulting in widespread flash and river flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows impacts across multiple zones. Zone A leads with 108 claims averaging an 8-inch recorded water depth and a $13,507 payout. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN account for 103 claims with an average 2-inch water depth and $2,280 payout, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 39 claims averaging 3 inches of water depth and a $7,890 payout. Zone X_SHADED saw 25 claims averaging 2 inches of water depth and $2,188, and Zone X recorded 15 claims with an average 1-inch water depth and a $44,774 payout.
Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A should pay the closest attention due to the highest number of claims and greatest average water depth, followed by properties in unshaded and shaded Zone X areas as well as locations with unknown flood zone designations.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
37% of Tompkins County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
172 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 1981, with 101 claims and $205,258 paid.
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.
16 NOAA storm reports from Tompkins County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 7, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 26, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 13, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Fires And Explosions | Sep 11, 2001 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
37 since 1996: 30 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2021 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2021 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2021 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2020 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2020 | $5,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 18, 2025. Slow moving thunderstorms developed in a warm and humid airmass during the afternoon hours over the Southern Tier of NY. Rainfall rates were excessive and produced up to 3 inches of rain within a 1-to-2-hour time span. This led to areas of minor flash flooding, mostly confined to street and poor drainage areas in developed areas.
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 · Dec 18, 2023. Low pressure moved north along the Atlantic Seaboard spreading steady and heavy rain into central New York during the overnight hours. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were observed along with a considerable amount of melting snow into area rivers and streams. Widespread flash flooding and river flooding occurred during this event.
Flash Flood · Oct 26, 2021. Deep moisture from the Atlantic Ocean was fed into a warm frontal zone located over Central New York by low pressure near New York City. This led to areas of moderate to heavy rainfall totaling between 3 to 5 inches of rain with locally higher amounts. This rainfall led to widespread flash flooding across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region.
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 Tompkins 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.