Natural hazards · Brewster

Brewster, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brewster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brewster?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brewster to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Cold waves6%Earthquakes6%Strong wind6%Hurricanes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Brewster faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Brewster flood?

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

6paid claims since 1978

$41Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $28K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Putnam County.

Disasters that hit Brewster

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrewsterDeclared for Putnam County only

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.9M to the Village of Brewster for repairs

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$598K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$8K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

27 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $38K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

115 households applied for aid $158K aid approved $23K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

2003

Snow

$5K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$15K to the Village of Brewster for repairs

Putnam County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Brewster 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 Brewster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Brewster. 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.

Brewster, NY natural hazards

How exposed is Brewster?

What Brewster faces

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Earthquakes

Strong wind

Hurricanes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Brewster flood?

Biggest named events

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms and Flooding

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

Tropical Storm Isaias

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Irene

Snow

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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