Photo: Ak1047 · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Hammondsport
Hammondsport isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hammondsport has 506 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1978.
What Hammondsport 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 Hammondsport flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hammondsport, from FEMA’s records.
- The December Storm - nor’easter1 claim · $199
Hammondsport 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 Hammondsport remembers
None of the 19 disasters declared for Steuben County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hammondsport itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19782 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19841 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, 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 Hammondsport after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hammondsport archive →Get ready for what Hammondsport 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 Hammondsport
Does Hammondsport flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Hammondsport since 1978, $14K in all. The most claims came from December Storm - Nor'easter (1).
Is Hammondsport 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 Hammondsport?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hammondsport’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 Hammondsport?
By flood claims, December Storm - Nor'easter: 1 paid, $199.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hammondsport.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hammondsport’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.