Natural hazards · Branford

Branford, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Branford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 588 claims here since 1978.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Branford?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Branford to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding57%Hurricanes22%Coastal flooding11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Branford faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Coastal flooding

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Branford flood?

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

588paid claims since 1978

$12.5Mpaid to owners

125homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 201 claims, $5.9M
Hurricane Sandy: 188 claims, $4.9M
Not a named storm: 38 claims, $128K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Branford isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: .

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3homes raised above flood level

Around Branford

Branford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Havenmostly inland floodingHigh

Guilfordmostly inland floodingHigh

North Branfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Branfordmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Branford covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Branford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Branford. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Branford total about $9.8M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.