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Natural hazards · Cornwall

Cornwall, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cornwall comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Cornwall?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cornwall to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes9%Cold waves6%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Cornwall faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

TsunamisVolcanic 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 Cornwall flood?

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

29paid claims since 1979
$666Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 8 claims, $406K
  • Hurricane Ida: 6 claims, $68K
  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 5 claims, $118K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Cornwall 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 Cornwall

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CornwallDeclared for Orange County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.0M to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

53 households applied for aid $239K aid approved $1.4M to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

4 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2011

Hurricane Irene

129 households applied for aid $270K aid approved $534K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

16 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $12K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved $39K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2003

Snow

$22K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$21K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$223K to the Town of Cornwall for repairs
Orange County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Cornwall

Cornwall and the towns around it

New Windsor: Very low, mostly inland floodingHighlands: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBlooming Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoodbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingFishkill: Low, mostly inland floodingPhilipstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburgh: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingMontgomery: Low, mostly inland floodingHamptonburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingStony Point: Low, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Very low, mostly inland floodingChester: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Blooming Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingGoshen: Very low, mostly inland floodingTuxedo: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTuxedo: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHarriman: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Fishkill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWappinger: Low, mostly inland floodingPutnam Valley: Low, mostly inland floodingKent: Very low, mostly inland floodingCortlandt: Very low, mostly inland floodingCornwall: Moderate, mostly inland flooding CornwallNew WindsorHighlandsBlooming GroveWoodburyWoodburyFishkillPhilipstown
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Highlandsmostly inland floodingModerate
Cornwallmostly inland floodingModerate
Philipstownmostly inland floodingModerate
Fishkillmostly inland floodingLow
Blooming Grovemostly inland floodingLow
New Windsormostly inland floodingVery low
Woodburymostly inland floodingVery low
Woodburymostly 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. Cornwall covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cornwall’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cornwall. 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 Cornwall total about $3.8M 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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