–Not graded

Natural hazards in West Hurley · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in West Hurley

West Hurley isn’t graded for hazard risk: West Hurley is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2011.

Flood claims

paid since 2011 · $21K

Disasters paid out here

of 28 declared for Ulster County

By hazard

What West Hurley 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

75%of expected building damage

Well below average · lower than 84% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage

About average · lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts

Smaller shares here

Earthquakes Strong wind Ice storms Lightning Hail Winter storms 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 10% of West Hurley’s 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 West Hurley flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2011

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

Paid flood claims, by year

20112018

20112026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene1 claim · $8K

paid claims since 2011

$21K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$10K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Ulster County.

Disasters

The storms West Hurley remembers

None of the 28 disasters declared for Ulster County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Hurley itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

20111 flood claims paidThe year of Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Ulster County
20181 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in West HurleyUlster County only

Ulster County has had 28 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 West Hurley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the West Hurley archive →

Next door

West Hurley and its neighbors

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

WoodstockHurleyZenaWest Hurley

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
Hurley	Aless damage than 89%	river and rain flooding	33
Woodstock	C⁺more damage than 59%	river and rain flooding	43
Zena	—	997 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 West Hurley 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 West Hurley

Does West Hurley flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in West Hurley since 2011, $21K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (1).

Is West Hurley 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 Ulster County, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in West Hurley?

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

By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 1 paid, $8K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Hurley.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

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

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