Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 85 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes12%Cold waves7%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chester flood?

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

85paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $426K
Hurricane Floyd: 5 claims, $74K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit Chester

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Orange County only

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$83K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$332K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$43K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2003

Snow

$35K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$31K to the Town of Chester for repairs

Orange County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Warwickmostly inland floodingModerate

Blooming Grovemostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Monroemostly inland floodingVery low

Chestermostly inland floodingVery low

Goshenmostly 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. Chester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chester. 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 Chester total about $3.4M 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.