Natural hazards · Guilford

Guilford, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Guilford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 317 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Guilford?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Guilford to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes26%Coastal flooding7%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Guilford faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Coastal flooding

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Guilford flood?

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

317paid claims since 1978

$8.3Mpaid to owners

64homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 84 claims, $3.5M
Hurricane Irene: 79 claims, $3.0M
Not a named storm: 32 claims, $91K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Guilford is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: .

Around Guilford

Guilford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Guilfordmostly inland floodingHigh

North Branfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Madisonmostly inland floodingHigh

Branfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Durhammostly 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. Guilford covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Guilford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Guilford. 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 Guilford total about $9.1M 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.