New York Environment & Hazard Risk
8 counties rated high or very high risk. 52,308 storm events since 1996, #9 among states.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.27B
- $212 per person
- Storm events since 1996
- 52,308
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 118,000
- $5.74B in claims paid
- Superfund sites
- 122
- 543 toxic release facilities
Risk by county
FEMA National Risk Index rating, highest risk first
| County | Overall risk | Top hazard | Flood policies | Flood claims paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County | High | Winter weather | 8,029 | $330M |
| Queens County | High | Winter weather | 11,977 | $708M |
| New York County | High | Heat wave | 1,854 | $121M |
| Bronx County | High | Heat wave | 1,844 | $27.41M |
| Erie County | High | Cold wave | 1,364 | $12.8M |
| Suffolk County | High | Winter weather | 26,160 | $1.11B |
| Nassau County | High | Winter weather | 35,824 | $2.28B |
| Westchester County | High | Strong wind | 6,276 | $273M |
| Monroe County | Moderate | Cold wave | 963 | $4.95M |
| Onondaga County | Moderate | Strong wind | 1,056 | $8.58M |
| Richmond County | Moderate | Heat wave | 5,301 | $282M |
| Orange County | Moderate | Strong wind | 1,082 | $26.8M |
| Rockland County | Moderate | Strong wind | 990 | $45.42M |
| Dutchess County | Moderate | Landslide | 1,124 | $13.97M |
| Ulster County | Moderate | Landslide | 897 | $30.22M |
| Broome County | Moderate | Winter weather | 1,233 | $138M |
| Oneida County | Moderate | Winter weather | 465 | $16.19M |
| Albany County | Moderate | Landslide | 591 | $4.74M |
| Chautauqua County | Moderate | Lightning | 365 | $10.03M |
| Niagara County | Moderate | Ice storm | 453 | $826K |
| Delaware County | Moderate | Landslide | 534 | $39.63M |
| Rensselaer County | Moderate | Hail | 571 | $5.8M |
| Cattaraugus County | Moderate | Lightning | 392 | $5.11M |
| Sullivan County | Low | Hurricane | 354 | $16.25M |
| St. Lawrence County | Low | Cold wave | 109 | $1.68M |
| Steuben County | Low | Landslide | 472 | $2.13M |
| Otsego County | Low | Cold wave | 256 | $9.01M |
| Tompkins County | Low | Hurricane | 366 | $1.88M |
| Saratoga County | Low | Ice storm | 518 | $8.13M |
| Chenango County | Low | Landslide | 331 | $11.35M |
| Schenectady County | Low | Ice storm | 196 | $8.26M |
| Allegany County | Low | Landslide | 205 | $715K |
| Clinton County | Low | Ice storm | 149 | $5.19M |
| Columbia County | Low | Landslide | 173 | $3.07M |
| Greene County | Low | Hurricane | 292 | $19.1M |
| Oswego County | Low | Winter weather | 272 | $2.49M |
| Montgomery County | Low | Landslide | 139 | $8.87M |
| Jefferson County | Low | Winter weather | 253 | $2.39M |
| Ontario County | Low | Ice storm | 297 | $3.84M |
| Essex County | Low | Landslide | 154 | $6.31M |
| Warren County | Low | Lightning | 144 | $1.84M |
| Cayuga County | Low | Ice storm | 279 | $1.55M |
| Herkimer County | Low | Landslide | 326 | $6.13M |
| Tioga County | Low | Landslide | 556 | $61.28M |
| Madison County | Low | Winter weather | 297 | $4.66M |
| Washington County | Low | Landslide | 110 | $1.42M |
| Livingston County | Low | Drought | 204 | $665K |
| Wayne County | Low | Hail | 146 | $2.47M |
| Genesee County | Low | Lightning | 208 | $1.88M |
| Chemung County | Low | Hurricane | 415 | $2.64M |
| Cortland County | Low | Landslide | 219 | $3.45M |
| Franklin County | Low | Ice storm | 78 | $179K |
| Fulton County | Low | Hurricane | 73 | $874K |
| Yates County | Low | Drought | 175 | $1.12M |
| Seneca County | Very Low | Drought | 123 | $977K |
| Schoharie County | Very Low | Landslide | 262 | $31.43M |
| Wyoming County | Very Low | Hurricane | 74 | $975K |
| Putnam County | Very Low | Landslide | 222 | $5.45M |
| Lewis County | Very Low | Ice storm | 59 | $456K |
| Orleans County | Very Low | Ice storm | 56 | $139K |
| Schuyler County | Very Low | Drought | 36 | $410K |
| Hamilton County | Very Low | Landslide | 57 | $719K |
Costliest hazards
Expected annual loss in New York, all counties combined
- Cold wave$310M/yr · 11 counties high
- Heat wave$270M/yr · 5 counties high
- Hurricane$242M/yr · 7 counties high
- Earthquake$234M/yr · 2 counties high
- Tornado$134M/yr · 3 counties high
- Strong wind$104M/yr · 15 counties high
- Coastal flooding$70.5M/yr · 5 counties high
- Lightning$42.84M/yr · 20 counties high
- Ice storm$27.57M/yr · 17 counties high
- Winter weather$22.7M/yr · 18 counties high
Storm events by type
Since 1996: 614 deaths, $5.45B in property and crop damage
- Thunderstorm Wind16,178 · 29 deaths
- Hail4,439
- Flash Flood4,288 · 61 deaths
- Winter Weather4,260 · 24 deaths
- Winter Storm3,970 · 18 deaths
- Heavy Snow3,420 · 10 deaths
- High Wind2,952 · 55 deaths
- Flood2,261 · 16 deaths
- Strong Wind1,888 · 9 deaths
- Lake-Effect Snow1,291 · 17 deaths
- Cold/Wind Chill1,280 · 7 deaths
- Heat1,204 · 82 deaths
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 2017, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Blizzard12/23/2022
Northern Erie
40 deaths, $15M damage
What happened
A historic lake effect blizzard occurred northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during the Christmas holiday weekend. The combination of high winds in excess of 70 mph and heavy lake effect snow resulted in devastating impacts across western New York and also east of Lake Ontario from December 23 through December 27. ||Warmer air initially was in place over the majority of the region with widespread middle and upper 30s being common in the pre-dawn hours on December 23. Bombogenesis occurred with an incoming surface low pressure center that crossed the Great Lakes and brought abruptly colder and vastly windier conditions into the area behind its adjoining cold front. Rain quickly transitioned to snow immediately behind the front, while temperatures and wind chills went into a free fall. This dramatic drop in temperature led to a flash freeze behind the front Friday morning, and by noon, temperatures across western New York were in the teens with wind chills already well below zero. ||Temperatures off the surface took a tumble Friday and yielding strong lake-induced instability over the fully open waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This produced ideal lapse rates needed for...
- Flash Flood09/02/2021
Ossining, Westchester County
$92.6M damage
What happened
Flash flooding resulted in an estimated $92.6 million in damages across Westchester County. This estimate includes $78 million in FEMA individual assistance to property owners, renters, and businesses and an additional $14.6 million in damages to Westchester County government infrastructure.
- Flash Flood09/02/2021
New York, Kings County
$60M damage
What happened
Flash flooding resulted in an estimated $60 million in damages across Brooklyn, and an estimated $300 million city-wide. This estimate only includes FEMA and SBA fund requests.
- Flash Flood09/02/2021
Central Park, New York County
$60M damage
What happened
Flash flooding resulted in an estimated $60 million in damages across Manhattan, and an estimated $300 million city-wide. This estimate only includes FEMA and SBA fund requests.
- Flash Flood09/02/2021
Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx County
$60M damage
What happened
Flash flooding resulted in an estimated $60 million in damages across the Bronx, and an estimated $300 million city-wide. This estimate only includes FEMA and SBA fund requests.
- Flash Flood09/02/2021
Long Is City, Queens County
$60M damage
What happened
Flash flooding resulted in an estimated $60 million in damages across Queens, and an estimated $300 million city-wide. This estimate only includes FEMA and SBA fund requests.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
10 hurricane landfalls since 1851, 3 of them major (Category 3+)
- Hurricane Debby (2024)08/02/2024 · Landfall: FL, SC · 979 mbCategory 181 mph peak
- Hurricane Beryl (2024)06/28/2024 · Landfall: TX · 932 mbCategory 5167 mph peak
- Hurricane Henri (2021)08/15/2021 · Landfall: RI · 986 mbCategory 175 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Fred (2021)08/10/2021 · Landfall: FL · 991 mbTropical storm63 mph peak
- Hurricane Elsa (2021)07/01/2021 · Landfall: FL, NY, RI · 991 mbCategory 186 mph peak
- Hurricane Isaias (2020)07/28/2020 · Landfall: NC · 986 mbCategory 192 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Fay (2020)07/05/2020 · Landfall: NJ · 998 mbTropical storm58 mph peak
- Hurricane Florence (2018)08/30/2018 · Landfall: NC · 937 mbCategory 4150 mph peak
- Hurricane Nate (2017)10/03/2017 · Landfall: LA, MS · 981 mbCategory 192 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Andrea (2013)06/06/2013 · Landfall: FL · 992 mbTropical storm63 mph peak
Flood insurance
National Flood Insurance Program policies and claims
118,000 homes in New York have flood insurance, about 2.5% of residential buildings. In high-risk flood zones, 71,882 of 95,168 homes (76%) are insured.
- Hurricane Sandy$4.21B · 57,341 claims
- Hurricane Irene$349M · 14,734 claims
- Tropical Storm Lee$160M · 3,156 claims
- Hurricane Ida$151M · 3,354 claims
- December Storm - Nor'easter$108M · 9,042 claims
- April 2007 Nor'easter$50.34M · 2,176 claims
Drinking water
2,246 community water systems serve about 18,296,611 people
Since 2021, 349 systems reported 1,363 health-based violations. 208 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report. These had the most:
- Yeshiva Farm SettlementServes 300 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · Private69 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Meadows at Cross RiverServes 630 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · Private64 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Sunset Ridge Water DistrictServes 625 · Groundwater · Local government34 health violations+7 monitoring or reporting
- Yeshiva Kehileth YakovServes 150 · Groundwater · Private34 health violations
- Harvey SchoolServes 510 · Groundwater · Private32 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Pabst Water DistrictServes 253 · Groundwater · Private30 health violations+25 monitoring or reporting
- North Castle Water District #2Serves 1,200 · Groundwater · Local government25 health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Oakridge Water DistrictServes 892 · Groundwater · Local government25 health violations+55 monitoring or reporting
Select a county above to see every system that serves it.
Climate in the largest cities
1991-2020 normals from the nearest NOAA weather station
Pollution sites
122 Superfund sites and 543 toxic release facilities
Superfund sites
- American Thermostat co.Final NPL Site, South Cairo
- Applied Environmental ServicesFinal NPL Site, Glenwood Landing
- Arsenic MineFinal NPL Site, Kent
- Black River PCBsFinal NPL Site, Town of Champion
- Brewster Well FieldFinal NPL Site, Putnam County
- Brillo LandfillFinal NPL Site, Victory
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (USDOE)Final NPL Site, Upton
- Byron Barrel & DrumFinal NPL Site, Byron Township
Largest toxic releases
- St Lawrence Zinc Co Balmat 4 Mine & Mill2.0 million lbs, Gouverneur
- Anheuser-Busch LLC1.4 million lbs, Baldwinsville
- Finch Paper LLC1.1 million lbs, Glens Falls
- Red-Rochester LLC - Eastman Business Park1.0 million lbs, Rochester
- Ecobat Resources New York LLC816,153 lbs, Middletown
- Alcoa USA Corp.570,658 lbs, Massena
- Onsemi566,604 lbs, Hopewell Junction
- Allied Waste Niagara Falls Landfill404,752 lbs, Niagara Falls
Facilities in New York reported 14.1 million lbs of toxic releases in 2024, 3.2 million lbs of it into the air.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest natural hazard in New York?
- By expected annual loss, cold wave costs the most in New York ($310M a year), according to FEMA's National Risk Index.
- How many storms hit New York each year?
- NOAA recorded 52,308 storm events in New York since 1996, about 1,687 a year. The most common type is thunderstorm wind.
- How many hurricanes have hit New York?
- New York has had 10 hurricane landfalls since 1851, including 3 major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger.
- How many homes in New York have flood insurance?
- 118,000 residential flood insurance policies are in force in New York. Since 1978 the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.74B on 174,558 claims here.
- How many Superfund sites are in New York?
- New York has 122 Superfund sites on or deleted from EPA's National Priorities List.
Source: FEMA, NOAA, EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch each county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.