Storms, floods and disasters in Apalachin
Apalachin isn’t graded for hazard risk: Apalachin is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 96 claims here since 2004.
What Apalachin 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
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 Apalachin flood? Sometimes: 96 flood claims since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Apalachin, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee54 claims · $3.7M
- The Torrential rain10 claims · $115K
Apalachin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tioga County.The storms Apalachin remembers
None of the 20 disasters declared for Tioga County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Apalachin itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201155 flood claims paidThe year of Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Tioga County
- 200625 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Tioga County
- 200510 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Tioga County
Tioga County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Apalachin after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Apalachin archive →Apalachin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga Terrace | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Apalachin 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.
- 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 Apalachin
Does Apalachin flood?
Flood insurance has paid 96 claims in Apalachin since 2004, $5.0M in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (54).
Is Apalachin 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 Tioga County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Apalachin?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Apalachin’s 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 Apalachin?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 54 paid, $3.7M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Apalachin.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Apalachin’s 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.