Enter any address in Ulster County, New York to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Ulster County, NY. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 154 flood events and 71 flash flood events, with one reported fatality associated with flash flooding. Recent events include heavy rainfall from a strong low-pressure system in March 2024 and remnants of Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024, which brought periods of heavy rain and isolated flash flooding.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates a significant number of claims across various flood zones. Zone A, which typically represents areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding, has the highest number of claims at 665, with an average payout of $26,956 and an average water depth of 7.8 feet. Zone X_SHADED, representing areas with a 0.2% annual chance of flooding, shows the highest average payout at $30,670 and an average water depth of 9.9 feet, despite fewer claims. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_SHADED, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk or outside of mapped high-risk zones, should pay close attention to potential flood hazards.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
95 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ulster County, New York has recorded 232 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 71 flash floods and 154 river or area floods. The county has received 37 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Hurricane Henri | Hurricane | Aug 21, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Mar 14, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Severe Storm | Sep 7, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Flood | Apr 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 11, 2008 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2023 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 2.00K |
Flood — Mar 9, 2024
A moisture rich, strong low pressure system brought rain, heavy, wet, high elevation snow and gusty winds to eastern New York from Saturday, March 9 through Monday, March 11, 2024. While much of eastern New York generally received less than 4 inches of snow, the southwestern Adirondacks received the heaviest amounts with accumulations generally ranging from 7 to 10 inches and higher-end amounts...
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 ...
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...
Flash Flood — Jul 18, 2023
Clusters of slow-moving, training, and heavy rain producing thunderstorms resulted in a downed tree and flash flooding over parts of eastern New York on July 18. The bulk of the heaviest rain and flooding reports were concentrated in and around the Capital District including the City of Albany, where some cars were stuck in rising flood waters. More than 5,000 residents in Albany County lost po...
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 ...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Ulster County, New York:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Ulster County, New York that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.