Natural hazards · Berne

Berne, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1996. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berne?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berne to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Tornadoes7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Berne 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 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 64 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berne flood?

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

3paid claims since 1996

$27Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $26K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Berne 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Berne

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerneDeclared for Albany County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$16K to the Town of Berne for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

54 households applied for aid $231K aid approved $416K to the Town of Berne for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$215K to the Town of Berne for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

5 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $18K to the Town of Berne for repairs

2003

Snow

$11K to the Town of Berne for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$25K to the Town of Berne for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$184K to the Town of Berne for repairs

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

Around Berne

Berne and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Middleburghmostly inland floodingHigh

Wrightmostly inland floodingHigh

Rensselaervillemostly inland floodingHigh

Broomemostly inland floodingModerate

Bernemostly inland floodingModerate

Westerlomostly inland floodingLow

New Scotlandmostly inland floodingLow

Knoxmostly 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. Berne covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Berne. 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 Berne total about $992K 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.