New York
Sandy put the ocean in the subway tunnels. Ida put the rain in the basement apartments. Buffalo's 2022 blizzard killed 47 people. New York's hazard profile spans from Atlantic hurricanes to Great Lakes snow, and the infrastructure that connects 20 million people is the common vulnerability.
Enter your New York ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island. Sandy (2012) flooded Lower Manhattan and the subway. Ida (2021) killed 13 people in basement apartments in Queens. Sea-level rise is pushing tidal flooding higher. The urban heat island makes summer heat lethal.
Primary hazards: hurricanes, flash flooding, storm surge, heat, nor'easters
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, the Finger Lakes. Lake-effect snow from Lake Erie drops 100+ inches annually. The 2022 Buffalo blizzard killed 47 people, many trapped in cars or homes without heat. The lake-effect snow belt is one of the snowiest regions in the country.
Primary hazards: lake-effect snow, blizzards, extreme cold, flooding
Albany, the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Mohawk Valley. Tropical Storm Irene (2011) devastated upstate communities. The Mohawk, Hudson, and Susquehanna rivers flood regularly. Heavy snow accumulates in the Adirondacks. Ice storms knock out power to rural areas.
Primary hazards: flooding, winter storms, severe storms, ice storms
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to NY.
Sandy (2012) caused $19 billion in damage and killed 53. Ida (2021) killed 13 from flash flooding in basement apartments. Storm surge flooded subway tunnels and Lower Manhattan. Inland flooding from tropical remnants devastates upstate communities.
Read the hurricanes guide →
The 2022 Buffalo blizzard killed 47 people. Buffalo and Syracuse receive 100+ inches annually. Nor'easters bring heavy snow and ice statewide. The Adirondacks and Catskills get buried. Polar vortex events bring dangerous wind chill.
Read the lake-effect and nor'easters guide →
Flash flooding kills more people than any other weather hazard in New York. Irene (2011) devastated upstate communities. NYC's aging storm sewers cannot handle intense rain. Basement apartments are death traps during flash floods.
Read the flooding guide →
Damaging winds and occasional tornadoes affect the state spring through fall. Microbursts topple trees in forested upstate areas. The Mohawk Valley channels storms through central New York.
Read the severe thunderstorms guide →
NYC's urban heat island intensifies summer heat waves. Heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the city in most years. Many older buildings lack air conditioning. Know your cooling center.
Read the urban heat guide →
New York resources
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Coordinates disaster response and manages NY Alert.
New York's official emergency notification system. Register for location-specific alerts including flood warnings, severe weather, and evacuation notices.
NYC metro, Long Island, and southern Connecticut forecasts. Hurricane advisories, coastal flood warnings, and winter storm alerts.
Western New York forecasts. Lake-effect snow warnings, blizzard advisories, and wind chill alerts for the snow belt.
Statewide referral service. Disaster recovery, energy assistance (HEAP), food banks, and housing resources.
December 2022
The day before Christmas 2022, a blizzard struck Buffalo, New York. It was not the snow that killed people. It was the combination: whiteout conditions, 60 mph winds, a driving ban that came too late, and a power grid that failed. Forty-seven people died. Some froze in their cars. Some froze in their homes after the power went out. Emergency vehicles could not move through the drifts.
Buffalo is accustomed to snow. This blizzard was different because the wind made it impossible to plow, the cold made power outages lethal, and the duration exceeded what most people had prepared for. The storm lasted three days. Some neighborhoods waited a week for plowing.
For every Western New York household, the Buffalo blizzard lesson is not about snow. It is about the combination of snow, wind, cold, and power failure lasting longer than your supplies. A backup heat source, 7 days of food and water, and the willingness to shelter in place when the driving ban is announced, not after you get stuck.