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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Seneca · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Seneca

Seneca isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Seneca yet.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
7
of 19 declared for Crawford County
By hazard

What Seneca 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

73%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Hail

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Landslides top 3% Lightning Earthquakes Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 13% of Seneca’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Seneca flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Seneca. 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

Seneca isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Crawford County.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Seneca

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

  1. 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides$42K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
  2. 2016Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$15K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
  3. 2013Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$76K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$12K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding$9K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
  6. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$478 aid approved$142K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2000Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$34K to the Town of Seneca for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SenecaCrawford County only

Crawford 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Seneca archive →
Next door

Seneca and its neighbors

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

Lynxville: not gradedUtica: not gradedFreeman: not gradedHaney: not gradedEastman: not gradedLynxvilleUticaFreemanHaneyEastmanSeneca
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Lynxville—105 residents; we grade 1,000+
Utica—592 residents; we grade 1,000+
Freeman—596 residents; we grade 1,000+
Haney—291 residents; we grade 1,000+
Eastman—616 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 Seneca 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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Seneca

Is Seneca 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 Crawford County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Seneca?

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

By FEMA money that reached Seneca, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 1 households applied for aid, $478 approved, and $142K to the Town of Seneca for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Seneca.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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