Natural hazards · Norwalk

Norwalk, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Norwalk comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,619 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Norwalk?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Norwalk to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes20%Coastal flooding6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Norwalk faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 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 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 Norwalk flood?

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

1,619paid claims since 1978

$46.1Mpaid to owners

257homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 616 claims, $33.4M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 256 claims, $4.0M
Hurricane Irene: 200 claims, $4.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 5 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (36) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Norwalk 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

4homes raised above flood level

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

1buildings floodproofed

Around Norwalk

Norwalk and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Darienmostly inland floodingHigh

Westportmostly inland floodingHigh

New Canaanmostly inland floodingHigh

Norwalkmostly inland floodingHigh

Wiltonmostly 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. Norwalk covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Norwalk’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Norwalk. 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 Norwalk total about $32.6M 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.