Natural hazards · Jay

Jay, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 166 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jay?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jay to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and avalanches.

Inland flooding62%Avalanches25%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Jay faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Avalanches

25% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 0% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 30 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Jay flood?

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

166paid claims since 1978

$3.4Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 33 claims, $2.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Essex County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Jay

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JayDeclared for Essex County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Town of Jay for repairs

2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$528K to the Town of Jay for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

28 households applied for aid $126K aid approved $2.7M to the Town of Jay for repairs

2011

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

$294K to the Town of Jay for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$151K to the Town of Jay for repairs

Essex County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Jay

Jay and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jaymostly inland floodingHigh

Au Sablemostly inland floodingHigh

Black Brookmostly inland floodingHigh

Chesterfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lewismostly inland floodingHigh

Keenemostly inland floodingModerate

Elizabethtownmostly 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. Jay covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Jay’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Jay. 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 Jay total about $1.9M 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.