Natural hazards · Gardiner

Gardiner, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gardiner comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1996. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gardiner?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gardiner to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes9%Hurricanes7%Cold waves6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Gardiner faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 75 years in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gardiner flood?

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

25paid claims since 1996

$880Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $789K
Tropical Storm Lee: 4 claims, $36K
Torrential rain: 3 claims, $20K

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

Insurance rates: Ulster County.

Disasters that hit Gardiner

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GardinerDeclared for Ulster County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$23K to the Town of Gardiner for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

3 households applied for aid

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

3 households applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

51 households applied for aid $94K aid approved $68K to the Town of Gardiner for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

3 households applied for aid $310 aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2003

Snow

$12K to the Town of Gardiner for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$22K to the Town of Gardiner for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$15K to the Town of Gardiner for repairs

Ulster County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Gardiner

Gardiner and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wawarsingmostly inland floodingHigh

Gardinermostly inland floodingModerate

Rochestermostly inland floodingModerate

Lloydmostly inland floodingLow

Shawangunkmostly inland floodingLow

Plattekillmostly inland floodingLow

New Paltzmostly 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. Gardiner covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gardiner’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Gardiner. 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 Gardiner total about $2.0M 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.