Natural hazards · Suffern

Suffern, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Suffern comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 372 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Suffern?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Suffern to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Cold waves5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Suffern faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Suffern flood?

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

372paid claims since 1978

$5.1Mpaid to owners

30homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 126 claims, $3.1M
Hurricane Floyd: 90 claims, $1.4M
Not a named storm: 33 claims, $63K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Suffern is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Rockland County.

Disasters that hit Suffern

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SuffernDeclared for Rockland County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

100 households applied for aid $210K aid approved $441K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$25K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

120 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $159K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

304 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved $503K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$39K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$92K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

44 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $30K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

2003

Snow

$15K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$125K to the Village of Suffern for repairs

Rockland County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Suffern

Suffern and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hillburnmostly inland floodingHigh

Suffernmostly inland floodingModerate

Montebellomostly inland floodingVery low

Airmontmostly 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. Suffern covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Suffern’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Suffern. 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 Suffern total about $3.0M 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.