FEMA Records
6
Total declarations
New York · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Putnam County, NY
6 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 40
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Putnam County in the top 60% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 81% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Putnam County compare?
- Putnam County
- 6
- New York county avg
- 3
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Putnam County?
Putnam County, New York has recorded 6 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2023, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 103% above the New York county average of 3.0 and 60% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 4 of 6 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 39.8/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Relatively Low (roughly $20.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Very High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Landslide, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Taken together, these indicators put Putnam County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. New York Avg
+103%
State avg: 3.0
vs. National Avg
+60%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Putnam County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Putnam County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
36079
NY state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 4
Severe Storm 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 66.7%
of all 6 declarations
Emergency - 2 33.3%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4723 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-07-22 |
| 4615 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-09-05 |
| 3572 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | EM | Hurricane | 2021-09-02 |
| 3565 | HURRICANE HENRI | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-22 |
| 4567 | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR | Hurricane | 2020-10-02 |
| 4480 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-20 |
Storm Events in New York
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,930 | 6 | 50 | $51.9M |
| Winter Weather | 2,595 | 10 | 25 | $728.0K |
| Flash Flood | 1,959 | 24 | 3 | $676.3M |
| Strong Wind | 1,657 | 4 | 13 | $9.2M |
| Winter Storm | 1,349 | 13 | 2 | $4.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 39.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$20.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Drought Very Low
Hail Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in New York
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Putnam County, New York had?
Putnam County, New York has received 6 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2023. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Putnam County?
The most common disaster type in Putnam County is Hurricane, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1), Biological (1).
How does Putnam County's disaster risk compare to the New York average?
Putnam County has 6 disaster declarations, which is 103% higher than the New York county average of 3.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 60% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Putnam County received?
Putnam County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 6 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in New York?
The most common storm types in New York include Thunderstorm Wind (8,930 events), Winter Weather (2,595 events), Flash Flood (1,959 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Putnam County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Putnam County was 2021, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Putnam County?
With 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Putnam County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Putnam County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Putnam County, New York has an overall risk score of 39.8 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $20.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Putnam County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Putnam County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Relatively Low) and Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Putnam County
Putnam County, NY has 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 103% above the New York county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (4 of 6) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. New York overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.