Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Barker

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Barker · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Barker

Barker isn’t graded for hazard risk: Barker has 590 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2012.

Flood claims
2
paid since 2012 · $190K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 20 declared for Niagara County
By hazard

What Barker faces

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

River and rain flooding

89%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Ice storms Tornadoes Hurricanes Hail Coastal flooding Wildfire Winter storms Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Barker flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2012

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2012: 2 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2012
20122026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Sandy2 claims · $190K
2
paid claims since 2012
$190K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$95K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Barker isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Niagara County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Barker

Disasters that paid out in Barker itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Barker), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  2. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BarkerNiagara County only

Niagara County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.

Were you here?

Old photos of Barker after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Barker archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Barker faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Barker

Does Barker flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Barker since 2012, $190K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (2).

Is Barker in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Niagara County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Barker?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Barker’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Barker?

By FEMA money that reached Barker, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): 1 households applied for aid, $2K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 2 paid, $190K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Barker.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Barker’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.