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Community Profile /  Disaster Risk

Disaster Risk

The Town of Amherst is annually exposed to severe weather. In the past few years we have had significant snowfalls along with high water conditions that have resulted in the flooding of portions of our community. Several natural waterways run through our town that expose us to significant flooding. Most recently we have had significant flooding events in 1985, 1998 and 1999. Most of the flooding occurs in residential areas. With the northeast region of New York State being one of the busiest for the transportation of hazardous materials our three major interstates expose us to a serious threat of a major chemical accident. We are also located to the west of the Claredon-Lindon earthquake fault which experts have identified as having extensions that come close to our town. Many of our community’s structures are not designed to withstand earthquakes, and we are unaware of any monitoring devices located within our community. Our town also has a history of significant power outages and property damage caused by high wind conditions.

About Amherst

The Town of Amherst was established in 1818 and celebrated its 200th Anniversary in 2018. The town has a geographical area of 53.6 square miles and a population of greater than 122,000.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Town of Amherst ADA Coordinators are Robert McCarthy (Director of Human Resources) and Mark Berke (Commissioner of Buildings).

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The Town of Amherst takes great pride in providing useful, timely and accurate information through its official website. We encourage public participation in our website and ask that you provide your feedback to help us make our site even better. Contact the website administrator at toawebsite@amherst.ny.us.

Get in Touch

  • General Information:
    (716) 631-7000
  • Email:
    toainfo@amherst.ny.us
  • Address:
    Municipal Building (Town Hall)
  • 5583 Main Street
  • Williamsville, NY 14221