Storms, floods and disasters in Exeter
Exeter isn’t graded for hazard risk: Exeter has 913 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2006.
What Exeter 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
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.
Does Exeter flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2006
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Exeter, from FEMA’s records.
Exeter isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Otsego County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Exeter
Disasters that paid out in Exeter itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Exeter), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms and Flooding$8K to the Town of Exeter for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$60K to the Town of Exeter for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2003Ice Storm$3K to the Town of Exeter for repairs
- 2002Snowstorms$8K to the Town of Exeter for repairs
Otsego County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Exeter after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Exeter archive →Exeter and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Otsego | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Richfield | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Schuyler Lake | — | 83 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Plainfield | — | not graded yet | |
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.
Get ready for what Exeter faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Exeter
Does Exeter flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Exeter since 2006, $4K in all.
Is Exeter 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 Otsego County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Exeter?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Exeter’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 Exeter?
By FEMA money that reached Exeter, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): $60K to the Town of Exeter for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Exeter.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Exeter’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.