Photo: Roseohioresident · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Empire
Empire isn’t graded for hazard risk: Empire has 242 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1996.
What Empire 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 Empire flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 1996
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Empire, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan3 claims · $12K
Empire isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Empire
Disasters that paid out in Empire itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Empire), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding10 households applied for aid$13K aid approved$10K to the Village of Empire for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
Jefferson County has had 19 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.
Old photos of Empire after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Empire archive →Empire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratton | — | 240 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 Empire 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 Empire
Does Empire flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Empire since 1996, $30K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (3).
Is Empire 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 Jefferson County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Empire?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Empire’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 Empire?
By FEMA money that reached Empire, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 10 households applied for aid, $13K approved, and $10K to the Village of Empire for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 paid, $12K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Empire.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Empire’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.