Natural hazards · Potsdam

Potsdam, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Potsdam comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Potsdam?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Potsdam to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding44%Cold waves23%Earthquakes21%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Potsdam faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Potsdam flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$24Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $1K
Hurricane Debby: 1 claim, $23K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Lawrence County.

Disasters that hit Potsdam

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PotsdamDeclared for St. Lawrence County only

2024

Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby

$22K to the Village of Potsdam for repairs

1999

Snow

$4K to the Village of Potsdam for repairs

St. Lawrence County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

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. Potsdam covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Potsdam’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Potsdam. 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 Potsdam total about $751K 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.