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Natural hazards · Amherst

Amherst, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Amherst comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 263 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Amherst?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Amherst to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves19%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Amherst faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Amherst flood?

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

263paid claims since 1978
$1.5Mpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Amherst is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Erie County.
Disasters that hit Amherst

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AmherstDeclared for Erie County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$382K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$79K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $614 aid approved $15K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,200 households applied for aid $652K aid approved $15.1M to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storm

$255K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2000

Snow

$126K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$123K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
1999

Snow

$138K to the Town of Amherst for repairs
Erie County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Around Amherst

Amherst and the towns around it

Pendleton: High, mostly inland floodingCheektowaga: Low, mostly inland floodingBuffalo: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Tonawanda: High, mostly inland floodingTonawanda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWheatfield: High, mostly inland floodingClarence: Low, mostly inland floodingWilliamsville: Low, mostly inland floodingLockport: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Seneca: High, mostly inland floodingSloan: Very high, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Very low, mostly inland floodingLackawanna: High, mostly inland floodingTonawanda: High, mostly inland floodingGrand Island: Very low, mostly inland floodingNiagara Falls: Low, mostly inland floodingNiagara: Low, mostly inland floodingCambria: Very low, mostly inland floodingLewiston: Very low, mostly inland floodingRoyalton: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewstead: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst: Low, mostly inland flooding AmherstPendletonCheektowagaBuffaloNorth TonawandaTonawandaWheatfieldClarenceWilliamsville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
North Tonawandamostly inland floodingHigh
Pendletonmostly inland floodingHigh
Wheatfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Buffalomostly inland floodingHigh
Tonawandamostly inland floodingModerate
Amherstmostly inland floodingLow
Cheektowagamostly inland floodingLow
Clarencemostly inland floodingLow
Williamsvillemostly inland floodingLow
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. Amherst covers 28 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Amherst’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Amherst. 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 Amherst total about $39.9M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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