FEMA puts Owego’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 94% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Owego gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). Flood insurance has paid 653 claims here since 1979.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Owego’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Owego 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.
What’s behind Owego’s grade
River and rain flooding is 98% of the building damage FEMA expects in Owego, and Owego’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D #758 of 758 in New York; higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Owego’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical New York town has lower expected damage than 69% of U.S. towns; within the state, Owego has more expected damage per building than 100% of New York towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.2M a year in losses across Owego: $3.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Owego flood? Yes: 653 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Owego, from FEMA’s records: 348.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee355 claims · $24.1M
- The Torrential rain55 claims · $644K
- Hurricane Irene3 claims · $81K
Owego isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tioga County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Owego
Disasters that paid out in Owego itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Owego), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee1,445 households applied for aid$6.3M aid approved$1.7M to the Village of Owego for repairs355 flood claims paid for it, $24.1M
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding401 households applied for aid$699K aid approved$205K to the Village of Owego for repairs166 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding136 households applied for aid$356K aid approved$59K to the Village of Owego for repairs57 flood claims paid that year
- 2002Snowstorms$7K to the Village of Owego for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$7K to the Village of Owego for repairs
Tioga County has had 20 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 Owego after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Owego archive →Owego and its neighbors
Owego is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
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 Owego 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 Owego
Is Owego at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Owego has higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Owego flood?
Flood insurance has paid 653 claims in Owego since 1979, $28.6M in all, or 348.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 168 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (355).
Is Owego 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 Tioga County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Owego?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Owego’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 Owego?
By FEMA money that reached Owego, Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee (2011): 1,445 households applied for aid, $6.3M approved, and $1.7M to the Village of Owego for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 355 paid, $24.1M.
Is Owego at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (98%), and Owego’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Owego.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Owego’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.