Photo: Mwanner at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Hillburn
Hillburn isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Hillburn yet. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1978.
What Hillburn 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 Hillburn flood? Sometimes: 23 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hillburn, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene3 claims · $545K
- The April 2007 nor’easter1 claim · $57K
Hillburn isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rockland County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hillburn
Disasters that paid out in Hillburn itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Hillburn), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida12 households applied for aid$23K aid approved$649K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs
- 2020Tropical Storm Isaias$9K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy4 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$7K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene24 households applied for aid$15K aid approved$9K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs3 flood claims paid for it, $545K
- 2003Snow$7K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$132K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs
Rockland County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical 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.
Old photos of Hillburn after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hillburn archive →Hillburn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffern | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 372 |
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 Hillburn 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 Hillburn
Does Hillburn flood?
Flood insurance has paid 23 claims in Hillburn since 1978, $1.2M in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (3).
Is Hillburn 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 Rockland County, 50% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hillburn?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hillburn’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 Hillburn?
By FEMA money that reached Hillburn, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (2021): 12 households applied for aid, $23K approved, and $649K to the Village of Hillburn for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 3 paid, $545K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hillburn.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hillburn’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.