Storms, floods and disasters in Gaines
Gaines isn’t graded for hazard risk: Gaines has 552 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Gaines faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Gaines flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Gaines. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Gaines isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Genesee County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Gaines
Disasters that paid out in Gaines itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Gaines), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$799 aid approved
Genesee County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Gaines after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gaines archive →Gaines and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Argentine Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Gaines faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Gaines
Is Gaines in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Genesee County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gaines?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gaines’ flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Gaines?
By FEMA money that reached Gaines, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2004): 4 households applied for aid, $799 approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gaines.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gaines’ residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.