Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Otselic
Otselic isn’t graded for hazard risk: Otselic has 909 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2005.
What Otselic 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 Otselic flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Otselic, from FEMA’s records.
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $11K
Otselic isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chenango County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Otselic
Disasters that paid out in Otselic itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Otselic), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$40K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$3K aid approved$22K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$27K to the Town of Otselic for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2003Ice Storm$10K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
- 2003Snow$2K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
- 2002Snowstorms$2K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
Show all 7
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$2K to the Town of Otselic for repairs
Chenango County has had 24 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 Otselic after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Otselic archive →Otselic and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smyrna | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Pharsalia | — | 563 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Lincklaen | — | 283 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Georgetown | — | 603 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.
Get ready for what Otselic 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 Otselic
Does Otselic flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Otselic since 2005, $11K in all. The most claims came from Torrential rain (1).
Is Otselic 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 Chenango County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Otselic?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Otselic’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 Otselic?
By FEMA money that reached Otselic, Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds (2011): $40K to the Town of Otselic for repairs. By flood claims, Torrential rain: 1 paid, $11K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Otselic.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Otselic’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.