Natural hazards · Rensselaer

Rensselaer, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rensselaer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 52 claims here since 1995. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rensselaer?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rensselaer to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Tornadoes8%Hail6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Rensselaer faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Rensselaer flood?

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

52paid claims since 1995

$456Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

December Nor'easter: 4 claims, $45K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $25K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $16K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rensselaer County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rensselaer

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RensselaerDeclared for Rensselaer County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

71 households applied for aid $108K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

Rensselaer County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Rensselaer

Rensselaer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rensselaermostly inland floodingModerate

North Greenbushmostly inland floodingLow

Albanymostly inland floodingLow

East Greenbushmostly 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. Rensselaer covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rensselaer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rensselaer. 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 Rensselaer total about $2.5M 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.