Natural hazards · Reading

Reading, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Reading comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1993. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Reading?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Reading to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Drought10%Tornadoes6%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Reading faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Reading flood?

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

1paid claims since 1993

$6Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Schuyler County.

Disasters that hit Reading

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ReadingDeclared for Schuyler County only

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$7K to the Town of Reading for repairs

Schuyler County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Reading

Reading and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tyronemostly inland floodingModerate

Dixmostly inland floodingLow

Watkins Glenmostly inland floodingLow

Starkeymostly inland floodingLow

Hectormostly inland floodingLow

Readingmostly 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. Reading covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Reading’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Reading. 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 Reading total about $428K 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.