35 flood insurance claims·$719,016 paid·3 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 Hamilton 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.
Standard riverine and general floods dominate the historical flood profile of Hamilton County, accounting for 38 out of 49 total recorded events over the last 30 years, alongside 10 flash flood events and 1 tropical storm. Recent historical events illustrate this risk, including July 2024 when the remnants of tropical storm Beryl brought rainfall up to four inches and caused the closure of Route 30 in both directions due to flash flooding. Heavy rainfall also triggered widespread areal and river flooding in July 2023, with northeastern Hamilton County receiving between 3 and 6 inches of rain, and again in December 2023 when rainfall totals reached 2 to 5 inches.
NFIP claim records show that homeowners in high-risk Zone A experienced the highest frequency of claims at 19, with an average payout of $12,914 and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 9 claims with a higher average payout of $57,717 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Property owners in Zone A face the highest frequency of flood events and deepest average water levels, while residents in unshaded moderate-to-low risk zones should also pay close attention given the potential for high-cost claims.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
32% of Hamilton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
28 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 8 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 10 claims and $276,031 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds and Hurricane Irene.
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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Hamilton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1993, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 10, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 9, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Oct 31, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Nov 16, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
49 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 38 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2024 | $500 |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jul 11, 2023 | $2.5M |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2022 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Dec 25, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2024. On July 10, 2024, remnants of tropical storm Beryl impacted Eastern New York, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall mainly to the Southwest Adirondacks, though pockets of heavier rainfall was also observed in the Upper-Hudson Valley and Helderbergs. Total rainfall ranged from about an inch to three inches with locally higher amounts up to four inches. As a result of heavy rainfall, an isolated instance of flash floo…
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 11, 2023. A strong upper-level system brought widespread rounds of showers and thunderstorms to eastern New York on July 9-11, 2023. The steadiest and heaviest rainfall occurred during the afternoon hours on July 9, the early morning hours on July 10 and during the evening hours on July 10 into the overnight hours on July 11. Rainfall totals varied greatly from region to region but the hardest hit areas (Hudson Valley and i…
Flood · Feb 24, 2022. An area of low pressure moved across the region bringing mild and windy weather along with periods of rainfall, some heavy enough, to cause localized areas of flooding. An ice jam also developed in the Village of Dolgeville leading to flooding along the East Canada Creek.
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 Hamilton 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.