Natural hazards · Albany

Albany, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Albany comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Albany?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Albany to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes11%Hurricanes6%Earthquakes5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Albany faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Albany flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Albany, from FEMA’s records.

50paid claims since 1979

$922Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 10 claims, $312K
Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $47K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Albany isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Albany County.

Disasters that hit Albany

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Albany itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Albany.

Brought FEMA money into AlbanyDeclared for Albany County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$304K to the City of Albany for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

226 households applied for aid $253K aid approved $512K to the City of Albany for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$269K to the City of Albany for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

97 households applied for aid $103K aid approved $28K to the City of Albany for repairs

2003

Snow

$83K to the City of Albany for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$352K to the City of Albany for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the City of Albany for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$185K to the City of Albany for repairs

Albany County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Albany

Albany and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rensselaermostly inland floodingModerate

Albanymostly inland floodingLow

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingVery low

Menandsmostly inland floodingVery low

Guilderlandmostly inland floodingVery low

Coloniemostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Albany covers 29 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Albany’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Albany. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Albany total about $20.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.