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Natural hazards · Schenectady

Schenectady, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Schenectady comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 128 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Schenectady?

44
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Schenectady to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Tornadoes8%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Schenectady faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Schenectady flood?

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

128paid claims since 1978
$3.5Mpaid to owners
15homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 45 claims, $2.3M
  • Torrential rain: 6 claims, $56K
  • Hurricane Gloria: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Schenectady isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Schenectady County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

67flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Schenectady

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SchenectadyDeclared for Schenectady County only
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$110K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

42 households applied for aid $38K aid approved
2011

Hurricane Irene

939 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $1.3M to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$600K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$27K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2003

Ice Storm

$70K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2003

Snow

$47K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$243K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$210K to the City of Schenectady for repairs
Schenectady County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Schenectady

Schenectady and the towns around it

Rotterdam: Low, mostly inland floodingNiskayuna: Very low, mostly inland floodingGlenville: Low, mostly inland floodingPrincetown: Low, mostly inland floodingGuilderland: Very low, mostly inland floodingColonie: Very low, mostly inland floodingFlorida: Low, mostly inland floodingClifton Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Very low, mostly inland floodingAmsterdam: Low, mostly inland floodingBallston: Very low, mostly inland floodingSchenectady: Moderate, mostly inland flooding SchenectadyRotterdamNiskayunaGlenville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Schenectadymostly inland floodingModerate
Glenvillemostly inland floodingLow
Rotterdammostly inland floodingLow
Niskayunamostly 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. Schenectady covers 21 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Schenectady’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Schenectady. 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 Schenectady total about $14.0M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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