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Natural hazards · Brunswick

Brunswick, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brunswick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Brunswick?

25
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brunswick to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes8%Hail7%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Brunswick faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Hail

7% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Brunswick flood?

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

5paid claims since 1979
$37Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $8K
  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $11K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Brunswick isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rensselaer County.
Disasters that hit Brunswick

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrunswickDeclared for Rensselaer County only
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$47K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$626K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$448K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$41K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$70K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
Rensselaer County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Brunswick

Brunswick and the towns around it

Troy: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Greenbush: Low, mostly inland floodingPoestenkill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Very low, mostly inland floodingSchaghticoke: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPittstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWatervliet: Low, mostly inland floodingGreen Island: High, mostly inland floodingGreen Island: High, mostly inland floodingWaterford: Very high, mostly inland floodingWaterford: High, mostly inland floodingColonie: Very low, mostly inland floodingCohoes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRensselaer: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Greenbush: Low, mostly inland floodingMenands: Very low, mostly inland floodingSand Lake: Low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: High, mostly inland floodingPetersburgh: Very high, mostly inland floodingHalfmoon: Very low, mostly inland floodingStillwater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStillwater: Very high, mostly inland floodingMechanicville: Very high, mostly inland floodingEaston: Low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingHoosick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrunswick: Low, mostly inland flooding BrunswickTroyNorth GreenbushPoestenkillGraftonSchaghticokePittstown
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Troymostly inland floodingHigh
Poestenkillmostly inland floodingModerate
Schaghticokemostly inland floodingModerate
Pittstownmostly inland floodingModerate
North Greenbushmostly inland floodingLow
Brunswickmostly inland floodingLow
Graftonmostly 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. Brunswick covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brunswick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Brunswick. 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 Brunswick total about $2.7M 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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