Natural hazards · Catskill

Catskill, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Catskill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 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 Catskill?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Catskill to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Hurricanes8%Tornadoes7%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Catskill 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

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% 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 Catskill flood?

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

36paid claims since 1996

$2.7Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 11 claims, $491K
Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $1.6M
April 2007 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $67K

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

No community discount. Catskill 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Catskill

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CatskillDeclared for Greene County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$15K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$66K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

239 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $557K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$91K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

25 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2003

Snow

$13K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$26K to the Village of Catskill for repairs

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

Around Catskill

Catskill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Catskillmostly inland floodingHigh

Catskillmostly inland floodingModerate

Greenportmostly 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. Catskill covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Catskill’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Catskill. 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 Catskill total about $1.1M 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.