Natural hazards · Colonie

Colonie, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Colonie comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Colonie?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Colonie to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Tornadoes12%Hurricanes7%Earthquakes5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Colonie faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Colonie flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Colonie.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Albany County.

Disasters that hit Colonie

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ColonieDeclared for Albany County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$41K to the Village of Colonie for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

4 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $47K to the Village of Colonie for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$180K to the Village of Colonie for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

4 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

Albany County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Colonie

Colonie and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Coloniemostly inland floodingVery low

Guilderlandmostly inland floodingVery low

Coloniemostly 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. Colonie covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Colonie’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Colonie. 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 Colonie total about $1.3M 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.