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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Pharsalia · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Pharsalia

Pharsalia isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pharsalia has 563 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
9
of 24 declared for Chenango County
By hazard

What Pharsalia 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

94%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Tornadoes Strong wind Ice storms Earthquakes Hail Wildfire Winter storms 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 Pharsalia flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Pharsalia. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Pharsalia 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.
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pharsalia

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$76K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  2. 2018Severe Storms and Flooding$107K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  3. 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$6K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  4. 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$89K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  5. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$28K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  6. 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$25K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
Show all 9
  1. 2003Ice Storm$58K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  2. 2003Snow$2K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
  3. 2002Snowstorms$6K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PharsaliaChenango County only

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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Pharsalia archive →
Next door

Pharsalia and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

McDonough: not gradedOtselic: not gradedPlymouth: hazard risk C−Pitcher: not gradedMcDonoughOtselicPlymouthPitcherPharsalia
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
PlymouthC−more damage than 76%river and rain flooding3
McDonough—946 residents; we grade 1,000+
Otselic—909 residents; we grade 1,000+
Pitcher—576 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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Pharsalia 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 Pharsalia

Is Pharsalia 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 Pharsalia?

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

By FEMA money that reached Pharsalia, Severe Storms and Flooding (2018): $107K to the Town of Pharsalia for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pharsalia.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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