Natural hazards · Olive

Olive, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olive comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olive?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olive to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes8%Cold waves8%Hurricanes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Olive faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 52 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Olive flood?

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

26paid claims since 1980

$1.8Mpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $1.8M
Torrential rain: 2 claims, $11K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ulster County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Olive

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OliveDeclared for Ulster County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$35K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$326K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$39K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$62K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2003

Snow

$14K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$30K to the Town of Olive for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Olive for repairs

Ulster County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Olive

Olive and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Shandakenmostly inland floodingVery high

Denningmostly inland floodingHigh

Woodstockmostly inland floodingModerate

Rochestermostly inland floodingModerate

Olivemostly inland floodingModerate

Marbletownmostly inland floodingLow

Hurleymostly 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. Olive covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olive’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Olive. 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 Olive total about $1.6M 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.