First Free Will Baptist Church of Pike · Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Pike
Pike isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pike has 812 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1978.
What Pike 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 Pike flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pike, from FEMA’s records.
- The December Storm - nor’easter2 claims · $29K
- The “Halloween” storm1 claim · $9K
Pike isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wyoming County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pike
Disasters that paid out in Pike itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Pike), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2014Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding$6K to the Town of Pike for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$69K to the Town of Pike for repairs
- 2001Snow$8K to the Town of Pike for repairs
- 1999Snow$2K to the Town of Pike for repairs
- 1999Snow$2K to the Town of Pike for repairs
Wyoming County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Pike after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pike archive →Pike 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | Bless damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Eagle | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Hume | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Genesee Falls | — | 400 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 Pike 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 Pike
Does Pike flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Pike since 1978, $108K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from December Storm - Nor'easter (2).
Is Pike 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 Wyoming County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Pike?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pike’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 Pike?
By FEMA money that reached Pike, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2003): $69K to the Town of Pike for repairs. By flood claims, December Storm - Nor'easter: 2 paid, $29K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pike.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pike’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.