Natural hazards · Lyme

Lyme, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lyme comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2008. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lyme?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lyme to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Cold waves8%Strong wind6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Lyme faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lyme flood?

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

7paid claims since 2008

$100Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

Disasters that hit Lyme

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LymeDeclared for Jefferson County only

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$405K to the Town of Lyme for repairs

2017

Flooding

$41K to the Town of Lyme for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Lyme for repairs

1999

Snow

$8K to the Town of Lyme for repairs

Jefferson County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Lyme

Lyme and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brownvillemostly inland floodingLow

Cape Vincentmostly inland floodingLow

Claytonmostly inland floodingVery low

Hounsfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Lymemostly 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. Lyme covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lyme’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lyme. 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 Lyme total about $497K 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.