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Natural hazards · Indian Lake

Indian Lake, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Indian Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2011. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Indian Lake?

48
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Indian Lake to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Cold waves7%Earthquakes6%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Indian Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Indian Lake flood?

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

4paid claims since 2011
$88Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20112026
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Indian Lake isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hamilton County.
Disasters that hit Indian Lake

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Indian LakeDeclared for Hamilton County only
2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$478K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$7K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$115K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$56K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$20K to the Town of Indian Lake for repairs
Hamilton County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Indian Lake

Indian Lake and the towns around it

Minerva: High, mostly inland floodingLake Pleasant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWells: Very high, mostly inland floodingLong Lake: High, mostly inland floodingJohnsburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArietta: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpeculator: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewcomb: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Hudson: High, mostly inland floodingSchroon: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland floodingHope: Very high, mostly inland floodingBenson: Very high, mostly inland floodingStony Creek: High, mostly inland floodingInlet: High, mostly inland floodingWebb: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTupper Lake: High, mostly inland floodingColton: Low, mostly inland floodingPiercefield: Low, mostly inland floodingHarrietstown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingThurman: High, mostly inland floodingMorehouse: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCaroga: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStratford: High, mostly inland floodingIndian Lake: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Indian LakeMinervaLake PleasantWellsLong LakeJohnsburgAriettaSpeculator
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Wellsmostly inland floodingVery high
Minervamostly inland floodingHigh
Long Lakemostly inland floodingHigh
Johnsburgmostly inland floodingModerate
Indian Lakemostly inland floodingModerate
Lake Pleasantmostly inland floodingModerate
Ariettamostly inland floodingModerate
Speculatormostly inland floodingModerate
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. Indian Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Indian Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Indian Lake. 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 Indian Lake total about $1.1M 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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