Natural hazards · Greenwich

Greenwich, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greenwich comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,198 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Greenwich?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greenwich to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes18%Coastal flooding6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Greenwich faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% 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 Greenwich flood?

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

1,198paid claims since 1978

$38.8Mpaid to owners

144homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 299 claims, $18.0M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 180 claims, $5.0M
Hurricane Ida: 146 claims, $8.4M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (21) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Greenwich 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

12homes raised above flood level

Around Greenwich

Greenwich and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Stamfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Port Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Greenwichmostly inland floodingHigh

Ryemostly inland floodingModerate

Rye Brookmostly inland floodingLow

Oyster Baymostly inland floodingVery low

North Castlemostly inland floodingVery low

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. Greenwich covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Greenwich’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Greenwich. 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 Greenwich total about $33.1M 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.