Natural hazards · Athens

Athens, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Athens comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1996. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Athens?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Athens to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Hurricanes9%Tornadoes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Athens faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Athens flood?

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

19paid claims since 1996

$725Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 8 claims, $483K
Hurricane Irene: 6 claims, $171K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $2K

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. Athens isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Greene County.

Disasters that hit Athens

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AthensDeclared for Greene County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$22K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

29 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $30K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$15K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$20K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

8 households applied for aid $716 aid approved

2003

Snow

$2K to the Village of Athens for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$7K to the Village of Athens for repairs

Greene County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Athens

Athens and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Athensmostly inland floodingModerate

Greenportmostly inland floodingVery low

Hudsonmostly 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. Athens is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.