Natural hazards · Summit

Summit, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Summit comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2006. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Summit?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Summit to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Summit faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Summit flood?

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

4paid claims since 2006

$49Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $5K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $19K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Schoharie County.

Disasters that hit Summit

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SummitDeclared for Schoharie County only

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$3K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee

1 household applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

16 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $176K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm

$57K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$5K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $23K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $8K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$27K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2003

Snow

$4K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2002

Snowstorms

$10K to the Town of Summit for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$42K to the Town of Summit for repairs

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

Around Summit

Summit and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Worcestermostly inland floodingVery high

Jeffersonmostly inland floodingHigh

Fultonmostly inland floodingHigh

Blenheimmostly inland floodingHigh

Summitmostly inland floodingHigh

Richmondvillemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Summit covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Summit’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Summit. 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 Summit total about $1.6M 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.