Photo: Doug Kerr from now in Binghamton, NY · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in McGraw
McGraw isn’t graded for hazard risk: McGraw has 974 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 37 claims here since 1981.
What McGraw 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 McGraw flood? Sometimes: 37 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in McGraw, from FEMA’s records.
- The Torrential rain3 claims · $26K
- The Late summer storms1 claim · $3K
McGraw isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cortland County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to McGraw
Disasters that paid out in McGraw itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of McGraw), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Village of McGraw for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms and Flooding$192K to the Village of McGraw for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$21K to the Village of McGraw for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$60K to the Village of McGraw for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$50K to the Village of McGraw for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
Cortland County has had 13 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 McGraw after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the McGraw archive →Get ready for what McGraw 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 McGraw
Does McGraw flood?
Flood insurance has paid 37 claims in McGraw since 1981, $766K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Torrential rain (3).
Is McGraw 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 Cortland County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in McGraw?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for McGraw’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 McGraw?
By FEMA money that reached McGraw, Severe Storms and Flooding (2013): $192K to the Village of McGraw for repairs. By flood claims, Torrential rain: 3 paid, $26K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McGraw.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where McGraw’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.