587 flood insurance claims·$18.8M paid·5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Greene County, New York. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Greene County faces a flood risk profile dominated by frequent river flooding and flash flooding. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records document 67 flood events resulting in 2 deaths and 62 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 2 tropical storms and 2 storm surge or tide events.
Recent events illustrate these hazards. On August 9, 2024, remnants of Tropical Storm Debby brought heavy rain, gusty winds, and isolated flash flooding to the Eastern Catskills. Later that year, on December 18, 2023, low pressure tracking up the East Coast produced 2 to 5 inches of rainfall with the highest amounts in the eastern Catskills, causing areal and river flooding that persisted for several days.
NFIP claims data demonstrates that flood risk extends across multiple zones. Properties in Zone A have recorded 350 claims with an average water depth of 19 inches and an average payout of $46,387. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X have recorded 122 claims with an average water depth of 7 inches and an average payout of $53,326, while Zone X shaded properties recorded an average water depth of 20 inches across 17 claims. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within designated high-risk zones, near rivers, and in areas experiencing repetitive moderate-depth flooding outside traditional flood boundaries.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
9% of Greene County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
385 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 15 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 235 claims and $12.5M paid, the year of Hurricane Irene and Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
50 NOAA storm reports from Greene County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
29 federal disaster declarations since 1987, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Henri | Aug 21, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 7, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 11, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Inland And Coastal Flooding | Apr 14, 2007 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 26, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
133 since 1996: 62 flash floods, 67 river or area floods and 2 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | $500 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $3,000 |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $30,000 · 1 killed |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 7, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 9, 2024. On August 9, 2024, remnants of Tropical Storm Debby impacted eastern New York, bringing periods of heavy rain and gusty winds. Total rainfall accumulations generally ranged from about 1-4 with several instances of flash flooding in the Capital District and isolated instances in the Eastern Catskills and Upper-Hudson Valley. Non-thunderstorm wind gusts throughout eastern New York peaked between about 35-50 mph, lea…
Flood · Apr 30, 2023. A strong low pressure system tracked up the East Coast bringing moderate to locally heavy rainfall across the region on April 30, continuing into the overnight hours on May 1. Rainfall amounts were generally in the 1 to 2 inch range with some localized areas receiving 3 inches. This rainfall was enough to result in some minor flooding across portions of eastern New York, mostly ponding of water on roads or floodin…
Flood · Dec 18, 2023. An area of low pressure tracked up the East Coast and intensified in the process as it brought widespread moderate to heavy rainfall across eastern New York on December 18, 2023. Rainfall totals were between 2 and 5 inches with the highest amounts across the eastern Catskills. This rain led to both areal and river flooding across the region. Some rivers didn't recede until December 22.||States of Emergency were is…
Flood · Jul 16, 2023. A couple of rounds of showers and thunderstorms resulted in wind damage and flash flooding over parts of eastern New York on July 16, 2023. One round occurred during the early morning hours which resulted in some downed trees and wires as well as some street flooding and washouts, primarily across the mid-Hudson Valley. The second round moved through during the afternoon leading to some flooding and flash flooding…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Greene County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.