Natural hazards · Upper Nyack

Upper Nyack, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Upper Nyack comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1992. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Upper Nyack?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Upper Nyack to be higher than in 2% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding43%Earthquakes14%Hurricanes11%Cold waves7%Tornadoes6%Strong wind6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Upper Nyack faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 2% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Upper Nyack flood?

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

7paid claims since 1992

$227Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 2 claims, $147K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $43K
December Storm - Nor'easter: 1 claim, $27K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rockland County.

Disasters that hit Upper Nyack

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Upper NyackDeclared for Rockland County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $34K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$59K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

1 household applied for aid $19K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$15K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

2003

Snow

$11K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$59K to the Village of Upper Nyack for repairs

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

Around Upper Nyack

Upper Nyack and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Orangetownmostly inland floodingVery low

Clarkstownmostly inland floodingVery low

Mount Pleasantmostly inland floodingVery low

Briarcliff Manormostly inland floodingVery low

Ossiningmostly inland floodingVery low

Nyackmostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Nyackmostly 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. Upper Nyack covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Upper Nyack’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Upper Nyack. 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 Upper Nyack total about $358K 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.