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Natural hazards · Highlands

Highlands, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highlands comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Highlands?

51
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highlands to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Hurricanes8%Cold waves7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Highlands faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

7% 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 windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

DroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Highlands flood?

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

1paid claims since 1979
$270paid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $270
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Highlands 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 Highlands

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighlandsDeclared for Orange County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.5M to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$17K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$40K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$14K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$15K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2003

Snow

$7K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$6K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$16K to the Town of Highlands for repairs
Orange County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Highlands

Highlands and the towns around it

Philipstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCornwall: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoodbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingStony Point: Low, mostly inland floodingPutnam Valley: Low, mostly inland floodingFishkill: Low, mostly inland floodingKent: Very low, mostly inland floodingCortlandt: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew Windsor: Very low, mostly inland floodingBlooming Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingTuxedo: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTuxedo: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHarriman: Low, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Very low, mostly inland floodingSouth Blooming Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverstraw: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeekskill: Low, mostly inland floodingBuchanan: Very low, mostly inland floodingHighlands: Moderate, mostly inland flooding HighlandsPhilipstownCornwallWoodburyWoodburyStony Point
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Highlandsmostly inland floodingModerate
Philipstownmostly inland floodingModerate
Cornwallmostly inland floodingModerate
Stony Pointmostly inland floodingLow
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. Highlands covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highlands’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Highlands. 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 Highlands total about $3.6M 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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