FEMA Records
12
Low volume
New York · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Seneca County, NY
12 FEMA disaster declarations (1972-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 42
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Seneca County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 12 declarations, more than 14% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 51% below the New York county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county safer than 42%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Safer than 42%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 12
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 108
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 36099 · Seneca County 12 declarations · rank 2775/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-LOW
- DECL-MID 12
- MAJOR-MID 50%
- RANK-LOWER #2,775
- PHOTO-FINISH Johnson
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-LOW -51%
Nearest declaration peer: Johnson, KS (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · New York state profile
Seneca County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Seneca County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Crane · near 12
Crane · near
12 declarations
- Johnson · near 12
Johnson · near
12 declarations
- Seneca · this county 12
Seneca · this county
12 declarations
- Seward · near 12
Seward · near
12 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Seneca County carries 12 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2775 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Seneca County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Seneca County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Seneca County
12 14th percentile higher than 14% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Seneca County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Seneca County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $7.6M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Drought carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Seneca County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 108 paid claims, totaling $977.1K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $9.0K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a New York county averages 24.5 federal declaration records, while Seneca County has 12. The gap is 51% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 41.8/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $9.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very High) and community resilience (Very High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Drought carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 2.5 modeled event-days per year here, based on 70 historical events on record.
48 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Seneca County, NY · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
9/30
12 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density Low
6/25
12 declarations (0.5x state county average of 25)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
6 of 12 declarations are major disasters (50%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
8 different disaster types declared in Seneca County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Seneca County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
50%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
42
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Seneca County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 2.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | roughly once every 43 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.9 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,179 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 30 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 3.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 16 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 14,041 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 16 years |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | an average of 3 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 15 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Flood 2
Hurricane 2
Other 2
Severe Storm 1
Severe Ice Storm 1
Fire 1
Snowstorm 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Seneca County's record, 17% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Seneca County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 6 50.0%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 6 50.0%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | |
| 2001 | 2 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 12 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 12 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4480 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-20 |
| 3434 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4397 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-10-01 |
| 3351 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-28 |
| 3262 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-30 |
| 1534 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-03 |
| 3186 | POWER OUTAGE | EM | Other | 2003-08-23 |
| 1467 | ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2003-05-12 |
| 1391 | FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS | DR | Fire | 2001-09-11 |
| 3155 | WEST NILE VIRUS | EM | Other | 2000-10-11 |
| 3107 | SEVERE BLIZZARD | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-17 |
| 338 | TROPICAL STORM AGNES | DR | Flood | 1972-06-23 |
Storm Events in New York
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Seneca County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,295 | 6 | 45 | $45.0M |
| Winter Weather | 2,261 | 7 | 17 | $705.5K |
| Flash Flood | 1,775 | 23 | 3 | $674.3M |
| Strong Wind | 1,399 | 2 | 12 | $9.2M |
| Winter Storm | 1,228 | 13 | 2 | $4.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
108
Total Paid
$977.1K
Avg Per Claim
$9.0K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 41.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$9.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Drought Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Drought
Drought is the slowest of the modeled hazards and the least visible: it does its damage to agriculture, water supply and soil over seasons rather than hours, so it rarely produces the kind of single-day damage that drives a disaster declaration. FEMA scores it in event-days per year rather than discrete events for exactly that reason.
Worth noting for Seneca County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Drought carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Seneca County's closest FEMA peer: Portage County, OH
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Seneca County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Seneca County shows 12 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Seneca County: 6 of 12 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Seneca County: NRI composite 41.8 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Seneca County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Seneca County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 41.8 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 12. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Seneca County's NFIP claims file (108 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Seneca County?
The most common disaster type in Seneca County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (2), Hurricane (2), Other (2).
How does Seneca County's FEMA declaration record compare with the New York average?
The typical New York county has 24.5 FEMA declaration records; Seneca County has 12, or 51% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 42% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Seneca County received?
Seneca County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 12 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Seneca County filed?
Seneca County has 108 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $977.1K in payments, with an average of $9.0K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Seneca County?
No. In Seneca County, Drought has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $7.6M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Seneca County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Seneca County was 2001, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1972 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Seneca County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Seneca County, New York has an overall risk score of 41.8 out of 100 (Very Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Very High; on community resilience, Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $9.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Seneca County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Seneca County as of the latest release is Drought (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate) and Riverine Flooding (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts drought here at 2.5 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 70 historical events on record. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Seneca County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · New York profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events