Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Pompey than in 63% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pompey gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns, #422 of 758 in New York. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1981.
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 Pompey 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 Pompey’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pompey, and Pompey’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts.
B #422 of 758 in New York; lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Pompey’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical New York town has lower expected damage than 69% of U.S. towns; within the state, Pompey has more expected damage per building than 56% of New York towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Pompey: $1.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Pompey flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pompey, from FEMA’s records: 2.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Sandy1 claim · $57K
Pompey isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Onondaga County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pompey
Disasters that paid out in Pompey itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Pompey), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding$53K to the Town of Pompey for repairs
- 2003Ice Storm4 households applied for aid$289 aid approved
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$18K to the Town of Pompey for repairs
Onondaga County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, 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 Pompey after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pompey archive →Pompey and its neighbors
Pompey is 4th of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabius | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| LaFayette | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Cazenovia | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Pompey | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Manlius | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
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 Pompey 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 Pompey
Is Pompey at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pompey has lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #422 of 758 in New York. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Pompey flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Pompey since 1981, $91K in all, or 2.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (1).
Is Pompey 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 Onondaga County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pompey?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pompey’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 Pompey?
By FEMA money that reached Pompey, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): $53K to the Town of Pompey for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 1 paid, $57K.
Is Pompey at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and Pompey’s rate for it is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pompey.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pompey’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.