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 very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes14%Cold waves7%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

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

59% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% 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

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

12paid claims since 1979

$108Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $90K
Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $8K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $489

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

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Orange County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

22 households applied for aid $71K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

36 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

6 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

188 households applied for aid $511K aid approved $35K to the Village of Chester for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

19 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

4 households applied for aid $384 aid approved

2003

Snow

$5K to the Village of Chester for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$6K to the Village of Chester for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$4K to the Village 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

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

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 1 census tract, 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 Village 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 $1.4M 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.