Storms, floods and disasters in Gaines Township
Gaines Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Gaines Township has 559 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1979.
What Gaines Township 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 Gaines Township flood? Sometimes: 19 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gaines Township, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan4 claims · $121K
- Hurricane Debby1 claim · $134K
Gaines Township 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.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gaines Township
Disasters that paid out in Gaines Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Gaines Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Tropical Storm Debby11 households applied for aid$36K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $134K
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved4 flood claims paid for it, $121K
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$924 aid approved
Tioga County has had 16 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.
Old photos of Gaines Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gaines Township archive →Gaines Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike Township | — | 333 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Shippen Township | — | 477 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Clymer Township | — | 676 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Elk Township | — | 35 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 Gaines Township 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 Gaines Township
Does Gaines Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 19 claims in Gaines Township since 1979, $404K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (4).
Is Gaines Township 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, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gaines Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gaines Township’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 Gaines Township?
By FEMA money that reached Gaines Township, Tropical Storm Debby (2024): 11 households applied for aid, $36K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 4 paid, $121K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gaines Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gaines Township’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.