Photo: J. Passepartout · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Caton’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 65% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Caton gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1993.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Caton 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.
What’s behind Caton’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Caton, and Caton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Caton’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $548K a year in losses across Caton: $449K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Caton flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1993
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Caton, from FEMA’s records: 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 76% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Caton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Steuben County.The storms Caton remembers
None of the 19 disasters declared for Steuben County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Caton itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19931 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Blizzard, declared for Steuben County
Steuben County has had 19 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 Caton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Caton archive →Caton and its neighbors
Caton is 4th of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southport | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
| Corning | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Lindley | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 20 |
| Caton | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Jackson Township | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Caton 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 Caton
Is Caton at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Caton has higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Caton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Caton since 1993, $24K in all, or 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 76% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Caton 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 Steuben County, 1.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Caton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Caton’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Caton at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Caton’s rate for it is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Caton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Caton’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.