Natural hazards · Dresden

Dresden, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dresden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1981. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dresden?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dresden to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding85%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Dresden faces

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

Inland flooding

85% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Dresden flood?

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

9paid claims since 1981

$154Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Dresden

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DresdenDeclared for Washington County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

$251K to the Town of Dresden for repairs

Washington County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Dresden

Dresden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whitehallmostly inland floodingHigh

Dresdenmostly inland floodingHigh

Putnammostly inland floodingHigh

Haguemostly inland floodingHigh

Boltonmostly inland floodingLow

Fort Annmostly inland floodingLow

West Havenmostly inland floodingVery low

Bensonmostly 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. Dresden covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dresden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dresden. 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 Dresden total about $780K 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.