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C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Hamilton · FEMA

FEMA puts Hamilton’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 63% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hamilton gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns, #604 of 758 in New York. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2005.

River and rain flooding 95%Tornadoes 1%Strong wind 1%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 63%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#604 of 758 in New York
Hazard risk
C+#604 of 758
in New York · higher than 63% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
95% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 2005 · $8K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 18 declared for Madison County
By hazard

What Hamilton 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

95%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Strong wind Ice storms Hurricanes Earthquakes Hail Winter storms Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Hamilton’s grade

River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hamilton, and Hamilton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Hamilton sits
Hamilton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #604 of 758 in New York; higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Hamilton’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding95%Everything else5%

The typical New York town has lower expected damage than 69% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hamilton has more expected damage per building than 80% of New York towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.8M a year in losses across Hamilton: $1.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Hamilton covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Hamilton flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2005

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hamilton, from FEMA’s records: 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 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 claims20052011
20052026
Biggest named events
  • Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $4K
2
paid claims since 2005
$8K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$4K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hamilton

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

  1. 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$24K to the Village of Hamilton for repairs
  2. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$17K to the Village of Hamilton for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HamiltonMadison County only

Madison County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe 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 Hamilton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Hamilton archive →
Next door

Hamilton and its neighbors

Hamilton is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Hamilton: hazard risk C+Lebanon: hazard risk C+Madison: hazard risk B−HamiltonLebanonMadisonHamilton
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
MadisonB−less damage than 52%river and rain flooding2
HamiltonC+more damage than 58%river and rain flooding2
LebanonC+more damage than 62%river and rain flooding15
HamiltonC+more damage than 63%river and rain flooding2

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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton

Is Hamilton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hamilton has higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #604 of 758 in New York. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Hamilton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Hamilton since 2005, $8K in all, or 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (1).

Is Hamilton 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 Madison County, 1.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Hamilton?

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

By FEMA money that reached Hamilton, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (2017): $24K to the Village of Hamilton for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 1 paid, $4K.

Is Hamilton at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Hamilton’s rate for it is higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hamilton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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