Natural hazards · Minerva

Minerva, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Minerva comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Minerva?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Minerva to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and avalanches.

Inland flooding58%Avalanches27%Landslides6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Minerva faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Avalanches

27% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 30 years in the area

Landslides

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesStrong 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 Minerva flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Minerva.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Minerva 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.

Disasters that hit Minerva

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MinervaDeclared for Essex County only

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$253K to the Town of Minerva for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Town of Minerva for repairs

2011

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

$59K to the Town of Minerva for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$6K to the Town of Minerva for repairs

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

Around Minerva

Minerva and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Minervamostly inland floodingHigh

Newcombmostly inland floodingHigh

North Hudsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Long Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Indian Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Schroonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Minerva is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Minerva’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Minerva. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.