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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Decatur · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Decatur

Decatur isn’t graded for hazard risk: Decatur has 328 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2009.

Flood claims
3
paid since 2009 · $49K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
6
of 20 declared for Otsego County
By hazard

What Decatur 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

96%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Tornadoes Strong wind Earthquakes Ice storms Wildfire Winter storms Hail Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 15% of Decatur’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Decatur flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2009

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Decatur, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 2 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20092011
20092026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Irene2 claims · $45K
3
paid claims since 2009
$49K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$16K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Decatur isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Otsego County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Decatur

Disasters that paid out in Decatur itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Decatur), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Town of Decatur for repairs
  2. 2011Hurricane Irene$18K to the Town of Decatur for repairs2 flood claims paid for it, $45K
  3. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$79K to the Town of Decatur for repairs
  4. 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$17K to the Town of Decatur for repairs
  5. 2003Ice Storm$3K to the Town of Decatur for repairs
  6. 2002Snowstorms$4K to the Town of Decatur for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in DecaturOtsego County only

Otsego County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.

Were you here?

Old photos of Decatur after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Decatur archive →
Next door

Decatur and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Roseboom: not gradedWorcester: hazard risk DWestford: not gradedSeward: hazard risk B+RoseboomWorcesterWestfordSewardDecatur
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
SewardB+less damage than 70%river and rain flooding1
WorcesterDmore damage than 89%river and rain flooding5
Roseboom—630 residents; we grade 1,000+
Westford—862 residents; we grade 1,000+

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Decatur faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Decatur

Does Decatur flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Decatur since 2009, $49K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (2).

Is Decatur 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 Otsego County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Decatur?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Decatur’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 Decatur?

By FEMA money that reached Decatur, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): $79K to the Town of Decatur for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 2 paid, $45K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Decatur.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Decatur’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.