Natural hazards · Waterford

Waterford, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waterford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 88 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waterford?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waterford to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes31%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Waterford 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 52% 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 5 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 Waterford flood?

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

88paid claims since 1978

$1.5Mpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 28 claims, $868K
Not a named storm: 15 claims, $31K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 14 claims, $79K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Waterford 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 Waterford

Waterford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Lymemostly inland floodingHigh

Montvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Waterfordmostly inland floodingModerate

New Londonmostly inland floodingModerate

Grotonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Waterford covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waterford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Waterford. 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 Waterford total about $5.7M 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.