Natural hazards · Preston

Preston, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Preston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Preston?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Preston to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes31%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Preston faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Preston flood?

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

5paid claims since 1979

$47Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $1K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $40K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: .

Around Preston

Preston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Norwichmostly inland floodingHigh

Montvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Griswoldmostly inland floodingHigh

Lisbonmostly inland floodingModerate

Prestonmostly inland floodingModerate

North Stoningtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Ledyardmostly inland floodingLow

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. Preston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Preston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Preston. 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 Preston total about $1.7M 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.