Natural hazards · Cortlandt

Cortlandt, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cortlandt comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 74 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cortlandt?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cortlandt to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes8%Cold waves5%Earthquakes5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Cortlandt 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

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Cortlandt flood?

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

74paid claims since 1978

$2.1Mpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 10 claims, $967K
Hurricane Irene: 10 claims, $412K
Hurricane Floyd: 8 claims, $118K

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. Cortlandt isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Westchester County.

Disasters that hit Cortlandt

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CortlandtDeclared for Westchester County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$389K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$960K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$439K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$175K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$249K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

2003

Snow

$117K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$650K to the Town of Cortlandt for repairs

Westchester County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Cortlandt

Cortlandt and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Haverstrawmostly inland floodingModerate

Philipstownmostly inland floodingModerate

Stony Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Peekskillmostly inland floodingLow

Cortlandtmostly inland floodingVery low

Croton-on-Hudsonmostly inland floodingVery low

Yorktownmostly inland floodingVery low

New Castlemostly inland floodingVery low

Clarkstownmostly inland floodingVery low

Ossiningmostly inland floodingVery low

Buchananmostly inland floodingVery low

Ossiningmostly 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. Cortlandt covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cortlandt’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cortlandt. 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 Cortlandt total about $9.3M 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.