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Natural hazards · Ulster

Ulster, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ulster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 178 claims here since 1980. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Ulster?

22
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ulster to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes11%Hurricanes9%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Ulster faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ulster flood?

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

178paid claims since 1980
$4.9Mpaid to owners
37homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 40 claims, $1.3M
  • Torrential rain: 38 claims, $2.2M
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 25 claims, $398K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UlsterDeclared for Ulster County only
2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$53K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$104K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$462K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$139K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$57K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$496K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2003

Snow

$26K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
2002

Snowstorms

$41K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$10K to the Town of Ulster for repairs
Ulster County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Ulster

Ulster and the towns around it

Kingston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKingston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEsopus: Low, mostly inland floodingSaugerties: Low, mostly inland floodingHurley: Very low, mostly inland floodingRed Hook: Low, mostly inland floodingRhinebeck: Low, mostly inland floodingRosendale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodstock: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHyde Park: Low, mostly inland floodingLloyd: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Paltz: Very low, mostly inland floodingCatskill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSaugerties: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClermont: Low, mostly inland floodingMarbletown: Low, mostly inland floodingOlive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMilan: Low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingUlster: Low, mostly inland flooding UlsterKingstonKingstonEsopusSaugertiesHurleyRed HookRhinebeckRosendale
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Kingstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Kingstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Rosendalemostly inland floodingModerate
Saugertiesmostly inland floodingLow
Red Hookmostly inland floodingLow
Rhinebeckmostly inland floodingLow
Ulstermostly inland floodingLow
Esopusmostly inland floodingLow
Hurleymostly 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. Ulster covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ulster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Ulster. 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 Ulster total about $3.2M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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