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Upjohn Church at Franklin NY Mar 09Photo: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Franklin · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Franklin

Franklin isn’t graded for hazard risk: Franklin has 424 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2006.

Flood claims
2
paid since 2006 · $92K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 30 declared for Delaware County
By hazard

What Franklin 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

95%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Tornadoes Strong wind Earthquakes Winter storms Ice storms Hail Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Franklin flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2006

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2006: 2 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 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 claims2006
20062026
2
paid claims since 2006
$92K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$46K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Franklin

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

  1. 2011Hurricane Irene2 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  2. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding52 households applied for aid$71K aid approved$120K to the Village of Franklin for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2005Severe Storms and Flooding2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$15K to the Village of Franklin for repairs
  4. 2004Tropical Depression Ivan1 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in FranklinDelaware County only

Delaware County has had 30 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Franklin archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Franklin 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 Franklin

Does Franklin flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Franklin since 2006, $92K in all.

Is Franklin 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 Delaware County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Franklin?

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

By FEMA money that reached Franklin, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): 52 households applied for aid, $71K approved, and $120K to the Village of Franklin for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Franklin.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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