Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Tompkins County, NY

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
36109
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2026-10-17. Plan: Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688), approved 2021-10-18.

Since the plan was approved on 2021-10-18: no new hazard declaration and 83 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($29,909,259 a year), Tornado ($1,816,422) and Cold Wave ($524,224).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2026-10-17
Plan:
Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)
Approved:
2021-10-18
Days to expiry:
17
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

What changed since your last plan (approved 2021-10-18)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
83 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 2 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 15
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county: 17 rows, in the section "Plan clock: Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county" on the following pages.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Plan clock

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Tompkins CountyCountyApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717
Cayuga Heights villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Dryden villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Freeville villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Groton villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Ithaca cityCityApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-11-15
Lansing villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-02-01
Trumansburg villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Caroline townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-02-10
Danby townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-04-18
Dryden townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-02-02
Enfield townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-11-15
Groton townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-10-27
Ithaca townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-02-03
Lansing townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2022-02-03
Newfield townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-12-14
Ulysses townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17Tompkins County 2021 (FEMA plan 107688)2021-10-182026-10-1717this jurisdiction approved 2021-11-15

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$29,892,963$118$16,179$29,909,25940
2TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$488,784$506$1,327,131$1,816,4223
3Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$1,413$74$522,737$524,22415
4Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$167,406$2,625$330,252$500,284206Includes 8 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
5LightningRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$7,382n/a$383,094$390,4767
6Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Lowunder $1$5,936$358,043$363,9794
7HurricaneRelatively LowRelatively Low$307,393$35,088$15,926$358,4080Declared 3 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
8DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$355,034n/a$355,0347
9HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$47,629$93,357$92,839$233,82597
10EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$163,855n/a$26,725$190,579Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
11Ice StormRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$142,611n/a$17,433$160,0437
12Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$13,898$42$13,205$27,14477
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$8,405$4$1,140$9,5490No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$741n/a$1,830$2,5700Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
15AvalancheVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/a$187$1870No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 19.01 (Very Low, 24.1); tract 18 (Very Low, 23.3); tract 14 (Very Low, 21.4)
Earthquaketract 3 (Relatively Low, 58.7); tract 6 (Very Low, 33.2); tract 23 (Very Low, 30.6)
Hurricanetract 3 (Relatively Low, 65.6); tract 23 (Relatively Low, 60.1); tract 6 (Relatively Low, 59.1)
Landslidetract 18 (Relatively Low, 92.5); tract 19.01 (Relatively Low, 89.8); tract 10 (Relatively Low, 84.5)
Tornadotract 6 (Relatively Moderate, 61.7); tract 3 (Relatively Moderate, 59.4); tract 23 (Relatively Moderate, 59.2)
Wildfiretract 3 (Relatively Low, 69.0); tract 23 (Very Low, 66.2); tract 6 (Very Low, 65.7)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 19.01 is Census Tract 19.01). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill15 records, 1996 to 2022 (15 zone-level)1 day to 4 days (median 2 days); 11 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 2005-01-21 to 2005-01-24, zone-levelCold/Wind Chill, 2004-01-15, $10,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2004 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Cold/Wind Chill records from May to September (a frost night, not a cold wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)7 records, 1998 to 2016 (7 zone-level)1 day to 120 days (median 30.5 days); 4 with a recorded value120 days (about 3.9 months), 2016-07-01 to 2016-10-28, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)105 records, 1971 to 20260.75 in to 2 in (median 1 in); 105 with a recorded value2 in hail, 2012-05-03; same size also recorded on 2012-05-03Hail, 2012-05-03, $1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ithaca city (23 records), Ithaca town (23 records), Newfield town (18 records), Trumansburg village (8 records), Dryden town (7 records), Dryden village (7 records), Danby town (4 records), Caroline town (3 records), Cayuga Heights village (1 record), Enfield town (1 record); and 3 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)4 records, 2001 to 2012 (4 zone-level)3 days to 10 days (median 6.5 days); 2 with a recorded value10 consecutive days, 2001-08-01 to 2001-08-10, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)7 records, 1999 to 2008 (7 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2003-01-01, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars); NWS zone NYZ025Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)40 records, 1996 to 2026 (1 zone-level)Flash Flood, 1996-01-19, $19,000,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ithaca city (5 records), Ithaca town (5 records), Groton town (3 records), Groton village (3 records), Caroline town (2 records), Danby town (2 records), Freeville village (2 records), Dryden town (1 record), Dryden village (1 record), Enfield town (1 record); and 3 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file). Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)7 records, 2000 to 2020Lightning, 2005-06-29, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Dryden town (3 records), Dryden village (3 records), Ithaca city (3 records), Ithaca town (3 records).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)10 records, 1998 to 2011 (10 zone-level)45 kt (52 mph) to 60 kt (69 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 8 with a recorded value60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2003-10-15; NWS zone NYZ025High Wind, 2003-11-13, $120,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2003 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)263 records, 1960 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 188 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2023-07-24; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2011-04-28Thunderstorm Wind, 2003-08-29, $400,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ithaca city (47 records), Ithaca town (47 records), Dryden town (21 records), Dryden village (21 records), Freeville village (13 records), Trumansburg village (13 records), Groton town (11 records), Groton village (11 records), Danby town (7 records), Newfield town (7 records); and 5 more jurisdictions (see the Excel file).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)8 records, 1961 to 2023F/EF0 to F/EF1 (median F/EF1); 7 with a recorded valueF1 tornado, 1988-08-28, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 880 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1988 dollars)Tornado, 1994-08-21, $500,000 property; crops not recorded (1994 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Dryden town (3 records), Dryden village (3 records).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)77 records, 1996 to 2026 (77 zone-level)Heavy Snow, 2003-01-03, $500,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars); NWS zone NYZ025Countywide (zone-level records).

Where a hazard names more than 10 jurisdictions, the table lists the 10 with the most records; every one is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-c Extent".

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 20 declarations covering 13 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsNotes
2020-03-202020-01-20DR-4480-NYMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$34,649,849.72
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3434-NYEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4480
2017-07-122017-03-14DR-4322-NYMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weather$435,447.46
2012-10-282012-10-27EM-3351-NYEmergencyHurricane SandyHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2011-09-132011-09-07DR-4031-NYMajor disasterRemnants of Tropical Storm LeeHurricane$1,417,512.69
2006-07-012006-06-26DR-1650-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$1,262,868.78
2005-09-302005-08-29EM-3262-NYEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-08-032004-05-13DR-1534-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding: designated for Hazard Mitigation only (no Public or Individual Assistance for this county); not countedPA not declared for this county
2003-08-232003-08-14EM-3186-NYEmergencyPower OutageNon-natural, not counted$6,698.99
2001-09-112001-09-11DR-1391-NYMajor disasterFires and ExplosionsNon-natural, not counted$5,496
2000-10-112000-05-22EM-3155-NYEmergencyWest Nile VirusNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2000-07-212000-05-03DR-1335-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$94,684.27
1998-07-071998-06-25DR-1233-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1996-12-091996-11-08DR-1148-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms High Winds, Rain and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1996-01-241996-01-19DR-1095-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-171993-03-13EM-3107-NYEmergencySevere BlizzardWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1976-07-211976-07-21DR-515-NYMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1975-10-021975-10-02DR-487-NYMajor disasterStorms, Rains, Landslides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
1972-06-231972-06-23DR-338-NYMajor disasterTropical Storm AgnesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Hurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
1970-07-221970-07-22DR-290-NYMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1963-08-231963-08-23DR-158-NYMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-03-161962-03-16DR-129-NYMajor disasterSevere Storm, High Tides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Coastal Flooding
1956-03-291956-03-29DR-52-NYMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1955-08-221955-08-22DR-45-NYMajor disasterHurricane & FloodsHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1954-10-071954-10-07DR-26-NYMajor disasterHurricanesHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

1 Fire Management declaration (1995-08-25 to 1995-08-25) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave15101001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought7000001996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail105737001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave4000001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000301996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 3 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Ice Storm7000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding4010010901996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Lightning7000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind273541654101955 to 2026-06-30Includes 8 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records.
Tornado8111001950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather7710310201996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2023-07-24Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust$80,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0KRUM CORNER to ITHACAnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2016-07-01Drought$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2016 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2012-05-03Hail2 in$50,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)0, 0NEWFIELDB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2005-06-29Lightning$100,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars)0, 0ITHACAB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2005-01-21Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2003-10-15High Wind60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2003 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2003-08-16Lightning$2,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars)0, 1DRYDENdeaths or injuries recorded
2001-08-01Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
1996-03-06Heavy Snow$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 1996 dollars)2, 1NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1996-03-03Heavy Snow$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 1996 dollars)1, 1NWS zone NYZ025 (TOMPKINS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1996-01-19Flash Flood$19,000,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1988-08-28TornadoF1, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 880 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1988 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (543 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave3.42event-days per yearabout 3.42 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 7 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (23.3%)652005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought2.19event-days per yearabout 2.19 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)702000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.000503annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0503%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.54events per yearabout 2.54 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)96.4 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave3.11event-days per yearabout 3.11 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)522005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.023events per yearabout 1 in 43 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)81851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.516event-days per yearabout 0.516 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)351946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.893event-days per yearabout 0.893 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 17 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (56.7%)251996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.239events per year (modeled)about 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning30.4days per year with a strikeabout 30.4 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind1.55events per yearabout 1.55 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)591986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.118events per yearabout 1 in 8 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0000206annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00206%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather16.8event-days per yearabout 16.8 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 29 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (96.7%)3192005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202549301.63
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20252300.0667
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025172305.73
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20256300.2
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202515300.5
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20253300.1
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche4 of 2617.922.424.1Very Low 4, Not Applicable 22
Cold Wave26 of 2624.231.538.2Relatively Low 26
Drought18 of 2670.686.196.7Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 12, Very Low 3, No Rating 8
Earthquake26 of 268.418.558.7Relatively Low 1, Very Low 25
Hail26 of 2635.050.774.1Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 24, Very Low 1
Heat Wave26 of 268.920.129.9Relatively Low 16, Very Low 10
Hurricane26 of 2646.254.165.6Relatively Low 20, Very Low 6
Ice Storm26 of 2632.254.483.4Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 22, Very Low 1
Inland Flooding26 of 265.373.499.1Very High 3, Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 10, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 1
Landslide26 of 2611.071.192.5Relatively Low 4, Very Low 22
Lightning26 of 2638.658.671.9Relatively Moderate 22, Relatively Low 4
Strong Wind26 of 2634.452.668.2Relatively Moderate 11, Relatively Low 15
Tornado26 of 2638.951.761.7Relatively Moderate 9, Relatively Low 17
Wildfire25 of 2619.654.569.0Relatively Low 1, Very Low 24, No Rating 1
Winter Weather26 of 2624.132.146.6Relatively Low 26

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Tompkins CountyCountyApproved, expires 2026-10-17$8,208,326.890 total; 0 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row. Includes $7,115,953.93 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1391-NY, DR-4480-NY, EM-3186-NY).
Cayuga Heights villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded4 total; 0 since its plan
Dryden villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$1,983.9535 total; 5 since its plan
Freeville villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$10,909.2216 total; 2 since its plan
Groton villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$6,754.3315 total; 0 since its plan
Ithaca cityCityApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 2; any 4$193,014.4078 total; 8 since its planIncludes $156,770.22 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4480-NY).
Lansing villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded4 total; 0 since its plan
Trumansburg villageVillageApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$5,484.9621 total; 4 since its plan
Caroline townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$498,631.298 total; 2 since its plan
Danby townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$131,525.4513 total; 3 since its plan
Dryden townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$78,387.3735 total; 5 since its planIncludes $29,059.96 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4480-NY).
Enfield townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded5 total; 1 since its plan
Groton townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded15 total; 0 since its plan
Ithaca townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$9,188.3378 total; 8 since its planIncludes $5,331.97 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4480-NY).
Lansing townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 9$24,103.894 total; 0 since its planIncludes $24,103.89 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4480-NY).
Newfield townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$35,243.1126 total; 5 since its plan
Ulysses townTownApproved, expires 2026-10-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$8,406.400 total; 0 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2021-10-18county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$240,808n/aunder 1under $1n/a$187under 0.0001%
Cold Wave$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483$1,413$74$522,737under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$15,143,792n/an/a$355,034n/a2.34% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$40,650,985,491n/a105,740$163,855n/a$26,7250.000403%
Hail$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483$47,629$93,357$92,8390.00021%$0
Heat Wave$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483under $1$5,936$358,043under 0.0001%
Hurricane$22,688,080,814$82,509,642105,483$307,393$35,088$15,9260.00135%
Ice Storm$22,637,787,975n/a105,272$142,611n/a$17,4330.00063%
Inland Flooding$22,646,594,261$544,0251,780$29,892,963$118$16,179n/a (see note)$115,000NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$1,023,798,981n/a4,565$741n/a$1,830under 0.0001%
Lightning$22,688,080,814n/a105,483$7,382n/a$383,094under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483$167,406$2,625$330,2520.000738%$262,500
Tornado$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483$488,784$506$1,327,1310.00215%$5,000
Wildfire$7,505,058,768$25,124,14335,214$8,405$4$1,1400.000112%
Winter Weather$22,688,080,814$83,300,137105,483$13,898$42$13,205under 0.0001%$47,500

Totals since 2021-10-18 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 72 county-coded records, 71 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $382,500; 11 zone-level records, 11 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $47,500 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population105,483
Building value (total, not at risk)$22,688,080,814
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$83,300,137
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$31,735,265
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$3,106,719
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingVery High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)2
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition14Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition2

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total021421503
of which: Dryden town0010100
of which: Ithaca city0232400
of which: Lansing town0090903
of which: Newfield town0010100
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file001901903

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Cayuga Heights village3615940000000
Dryden village3608470000000
Freeville village3610520000000
Groton village3608490000000
Ithaca city3608500232400
Lansing village3616120000000
Trumansburg village3614700000000
Caroline town3608430000000
Danby town3608450000000
Dryden town3608460010100
Enfield town3600040000000
Groton town3612170000000
Ithaca town3608510000000
Lansing town3608520090903
Newfield town3608530010100
Ulysses town3608540000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential001101103
2 to 4 unit residential0222300
other residential0000000
non-residential0010100
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 14 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Tompkins County, NY: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 36109). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ny/36109/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]