Photo: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in New Berlin
New Berlin isn’t graded for hazard risk: New Berlin has 989 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2006.
What New Berlin 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 New Berlin flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2006
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Berlin, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee2 claims · $32K
New Berlin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chenango County.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to New Berlin
Disasters that paid out in New Berlin itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of New Berlin), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$6K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs
- 2011Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee32 households applied for aid$28K aid approved$19K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs2 flood claims paid for it, $32K
- 2011Hurricane Irene6 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding48 households applied for aid$92K aid approved$12K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
Show all 10
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan1 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 2003Ice Storm$1K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs
- 2003Snow$982 to the Village of New Berlin for repairs
- 2002Snowstorms$3K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs
Chenango County has had 24 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.
Old photos of New Berlin after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Berlin archive →New Berlin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| New Berlin | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
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 New Berlin 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 New Berlin
Does New Berlin flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in New Berlin since 2006, $32K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (2).
Is New Berlin 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 Chenango County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in New Berlin?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Berlin’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 New Berlin?
By FEMA money that reached New Berlin, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): 48 households applied for aid, $92K approved, and $12K to the Village of New Berlin for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 2 paid, $32K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Berlin.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Berlin’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.