Onondaga County, NY Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 870 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $103M
- Relatively Moderate nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 870
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 1,056
- 0.7% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 2 tropical storms or stronger since 1876
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Moderate
Score 91.3 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 38.5 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 89.4 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $102B · Agriculture value exposed: $230M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $106M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windVery High$6.19M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
- Winter weatherVery High$1.16M/yr expected annual loss, about 26 events a year
- Ice stormVery High$2.34M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
- LightningRelatively High$1.38M/yr expected annual loss, about 30 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$6.01M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7 years
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$1.74M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.7 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.91M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 969 years
- HailRelatively Moderate$818K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- HurricaneRelatively Low$1.34M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 47 years
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$2.67M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
- LandslideRelatively Low$3,241/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- WildfireVery Low$37.94K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 21,379 years
- AvalancheVery Low$278/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, drought, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 1,056 of 153,663 (0.7%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 2,978
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 820 (28%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 970
- Claims paid since 1978
- $8.58M
Flood claims paid per year
- Tropical Storm Fred$358K · 24 claims
- Flooding$181K · 52 claims
- Torrential rain$150K · 11 claims
- Blizzard of 1993$21.78K · 5 claims
- Tropical Storm Henri$8,199 · 3 claims
- Late summer storms$3,991 · 3 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 870 events, 9 deaths, $141M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind352 · 5 deaths
- Hail182
- Heavy Snow86 · 1 death
- Flash Flood63 · 2 deaths
- Lake-Effect Snow55
- High Wind27
- Winter Storm27
- Lightning20 · 1 death
- Cold/Wind Chill13
- Flood9
Events per year
8 tornadoes on record (F0 4, F1 3, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind09/07/1998
Baldwinsville, Onondaga County
3 deaths, 7 injured, $90M damage
What happened
The derecho that caused extensive wind damage upstream in both Cayuga and Seneca counties continued eastward across Onondaga county. Widespread structural damage resulted and tens of thousands of trees were toppled in northern portions of the county. Direct human impact was also felt. Two fatalities and seven injuries occurred at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes. The bow echo complex first entered northwestern sections of the county just after 100 am EDT. It initially tore through the Baldwinsville area, leaving many streets littered with downed trees and utility poles. The storms progressed rapidly towards the east-southeast and affected an area from Clay across Onondaga Lake to Camillus and Geddes from 115 to 120 am EDT. Severe damage was inflicted upon the State Fairgrounds in Geddes. Most of the temporary holding structures or tents on the premises were either completely destroyed or sustained heavy damage. Unfortunately, two individuals who were camping out before the last day of the New York State Fair died that night. A 26 year old man was killed when he was struck by flying debris from a nearby building. A 38 year old man, who was a vendor at the...
- Thunderstorm Wind07/04/1999
Syracuse, Onondaga County
11 injured, $500K damage
What happened
Numerous tents and booths were damaged or blown down at the county Fairgrounds during the "Taste of Syracuse" festival.
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/29/1998
Cicero, Onondaga County
1 death, 1 injured, $40K damage
What happened
A line of thunderstorms became severe as it crossed northern sections of the county close to 1:30 pm EDT. Numerous trees and wires were downed across northern and eastern sections of the Syracuse metropolitan area. One man in Cicero was injured when he was shocked from falling wires. In Syracuse, another man was struck and killed by a large tree limb on the corner of Congress and Holland Streets.
- Heavy Snow03/07/1996
Onondaga
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
A winter storm formed over the Carolinas and tracked up the coast, bringing heavy snow to central New York. Snowfall accumulations ranged from 6 to 12 inches by the time the snow tapered off on the evening of the 7th. During the height of the storm, many accidents were reported due to poor visibility, including one in which an elderly couple was killed and one person injured in a collision in Lansing (Tompkins County). In Onondaga County, one man was killed and one injured in a two-car accident in Marcellus. Two people were injured near Rome in Oneida County when their car drove off the road, and six people were injured in Homer, Cortland County, when a tour bus drove off Interstate 81 in near zero visibility.
- Flash Flood07/01/2015
Coleville, Onondaga County
1 death, $500K damage
What happened
Severe urban flash flooding occurred in the City of Syracuse. A man was swept to his death after stepping into an open manhole on East Fayette Street. Heavy rainfall caused the manhole cover to be blown off by excessive water pressure in the storm sewer system.
- Thunderstorm Wind07/04/1999
Otisco, Onondaga County
1 death, $50K damage
What happened
A young girl drowned on Otisco Lake as a result of thunderstorm winds capsizing the party boat she was riding in.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Flash Flood07/27/2026
De Witt, Onondaga County
$5,000 damage
- Flash Flood07/27/2026
Oot Park, Onondaga County
$10K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/18/2026
Wrights Corners, Onondaga County
$1,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/18/2026
Baldwinsville, Onondaga County
$10K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/12/2026
South Bay, Onondaga County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/30/2026
De Witt, Onondaga County
$5,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/30/2026
Onondaga, Onondaga County
$1,500 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/30/2026
Malvic Manor, Onondaga County
$5,000 damage
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Onondaga County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1933)08/13/1933 · Landfall: NC · 948 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1876)09/12/1876 · Landfall: NC · 980 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
25 community water systems serve about 609,047 people. Violations since 2021.
8 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- OcwaServes 350,000 · Surface water · Public and privateNo health violations
- Syracuse CityServes 192,000 · Surface water · Local government10 health violations+9 monitoring or reporting
- Dewitt Wds - SouthServes 16,200 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Clay WdsServes 16,000 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Dewitt Wds - NorthServes 13,600 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Baldwinsville VillageServes 9,200 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Skaneateles WdsServes 3,500 · Purchased surface water · Local government5 health violations
- Skaneateles VillageServes 2,610 · Purchased surface water · Local government5 health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Syracuse Hancock INTL AP, 8 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 82°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 17°F in Jan. About 39.9 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 127.8 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 17°F | 2.58 in | 34.0 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 18°F | 2.46 in | 30.3 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 25°F | 3.04 in | 19.8 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 3.48 in | 3.0 in |
| May | 69°F | 47°F | 3.42 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 57°F | 3.56 in | - |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 3.86 in | - |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 3.70 in | - |
| Sep | 73°F | 53°F | 3.38 in | - |
| Oct | 60°F | 42°F | 3.89 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 33°F | 3.23 in | 9.8 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 3.28 in | 30.6 in |
| Year | 49°F average | 39.9 in | 127.8 in | |
Pollution sites
1 Superfund site and 27 toxic release facilities in Onondaga County
Superfund sites
- Onondaga LakeFinalSyracuse
Toxic release facilities
- Anheuser-Busch LLC1.4 million lbs released, Baldwinsville
- Westrock - Solvay LLC32,510 lbs released, Syracuse
- Anoplate Corp17,022 lbs released, Syracuse
- Byrne Dewitt LLC10,916 lbs released, East Syracuse
- Chemtrade Solutions-Syracuse10,389 lbs released, Syracuse
- Safety-Kleen Systems Syracuse (Syr)8,871 lbs released, Syracuse
- Upstate Farms Dairy LLC8,474 lbs released, Syracuse
- Solvents & Petroleum Service4,869 lbs released, Syracuse
- Bodycote Syracuse Heat Treating Corp.1,963 lbs released, Syracuse
- Feldmeier Equipment1,649 lbs released, Syracuse
Total: 1.5 million lbs in 2024, 39,352 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk117 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Onondaga County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Onondaga County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $103M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (very high), winter weather (very high), ice storm (very high).
- What storms are most common in Onondaga County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 870 storm events affecting Onondaga County, most often thunderstorm wind (352), hail (182), heavy snow (86).
- How many tornadoes have hit Onondaga County?
- 8 tornadoes have been recorded in Onondaga County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Onondaga County have flood insurance?
- 1,056 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Onondaga County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $8.58M on 970 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Onondaga County?
- At Syracuse Hancock INTL AP, average highs reach 82°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan, with 39.9 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.