Natural hazards · Patterson

Patterson, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Patterson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Patterson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Patterson to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes7%Strong wind7%Cold waves6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Patterson faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningAvalanches

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 Patterson flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979

$23Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $4K
Vermont/New York Flooding: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Putnam County.

Disasters that hit Patterson

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PattersonDeclared for Putnam County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

$61K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$52K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

20 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $99K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

31 households applied for aid $43K aid approved $58K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$96K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

2003

Snow

$39K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$86K to the Town of Patterson for repairs

Putnam County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Patterson

Patterson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Fairfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Pawlingmostly inland floodingLow

Southeastmostly inland floodingVery low

Pattersonmostly inland floodingVery low

Kentmostly 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. Patterson covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Patterson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Patterson. 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 Patterson total about $2.0M 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.