Bonfoy-Barstow House · Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0On FEMA’s figures, Winfield faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winfield gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
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
What Winfield 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.
What’s behind Winfield’s grade
River and rain flooding is 94% of the building damage FEMA expects in Winfield, and Winfield’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Winfield’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $625K a year in losses across Winfield: $550K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Winfield flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Winfield, from FEMA’s records: 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 73% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $61K
Winfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Herkimer County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Winfield
Disasters that paid out in Winfield itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Winfield), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Town of Winfield for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$38K to the Town of Winfield for repairs
- 2002Snowstorms$2K to the Town of Winfield for repairs
Herkimer 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.
Old photos of Winfield after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Winfield archive →Winfield and its neighbors
Winfield is 3rd of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Litchfield | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Columbia | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Winfield | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bridgewater | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Richfield | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| 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 Winfield 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 Winfield
Is Winfield at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winfield has lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Winfield flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Winfield since 2011, $61K in all, or 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 73% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (1).
Is Winfield 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 Herkimer County, 1.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Winfield?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Winfield’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 Winfield?
By FEMA money that reached Winfield, Severe Storms and Flooding (2006): $38K to the Town of Winfield for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 1 paid, $61K.
Is Winfield at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (94%), and Winfield’s rate for it is higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Winfield.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Winfield’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.