–Not graded

Natural hazards in Brasher Falls · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Brasher Falls

Brasher Falls isn’t graded for hazard risk: Brasher Falls has 776 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1984.

Flood claims

paid since 1984 · $74K

Disasters paid out here

of 13 declared for St. Lawrence County

By hazard

What Brasher Falls 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

88%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

9%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts

Smaller shares here

Ice storms Strong wind Hurricanes Tornadoes Winter storms Lightning Hail Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 21% of Brasher Falls’ expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Brasher Falls flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1984

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

Paid flood claims, by year

198419961998

19842026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Debby1 claim · $9K

paid claims since 1984

$74K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$12K

average claim

of all homes are insured

No community discount

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

Insurance rates: St. Lawrence County.

Disasters

The storms Brasher Falls remembers

None of the 13 disasters declared for St. Lawrence County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Brasher Falls itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

19982 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for St. Lawrence County
19841 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
19961 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for St. Lawrence County

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in Brasher FallsSt. Lawrence County only

St. Lawrence County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. 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 Brasher Falls after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Brasher Falls archive →

Next door

Brasher Falls and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

BrasherLawrenceWinthropBrasher Falls

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
Lawrence	B⁺less damage than 73%	river and rain flooding	13
Brasher	B⁻more damage than 53%	river and rain flooding	4
Winthrop	—	530 residents; we grade 1,000+

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what Brasher Falls 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.

Questions about natural hazards in Brasher Falls

Does Brasher Falls flood?

Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Brasher Falls since 1984, $74K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Debby (1).

Is Brasher Falls 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 St. Lawrence County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Brasher Falls?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brasher Falls’ 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 Brasher Falls?

By flood claims, Hurricane Debby: 1 paid, $9K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brasher Falls.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brasher Falls’ 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.

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