Storms, floods and disasters in Baldwin
Baldwin isn’t graded for hazard risk: Baldwin has 816 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1980.
What Baldwin 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 Baldwin flood? Sometimes: 24 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Baldwin, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Sandy9 claims · $764K
- Hurricane Irene5 claims · $131K
- Hurricane Gloria2 claims · $2K
Baldwin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chemung County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Baldwin
Disasters that paid out in Baldwin itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Baldwin), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee$21K to the Town of Baldwin for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$8K to the Town of Baldwin for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$7K to the Town of Baldwin for repairs
Chemung County has had 12 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; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Baldwin after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Baldwin archive →Baldwin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemung | B−more damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Elmira | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Barton | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 65 |
| Van Etten | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Erin | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Baldwin 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 Baldwin
Does Baldwin flood?
Flood insurance has paid 24 claims in Baldwin since 1980, $923K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (9).
Is Baldwin 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 Chemung County, 1.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Baldwin?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Baldwin’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 Baldwin?
By FEMA money that reached Baldwin, Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee (2011): $21K to the Town of Baldwin for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 9 paid, $764K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Baldwin.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Baldwin’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.