Natural hazards · West Haven

West Haven, CT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Haven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 392 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Haven?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Haven to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes24%Earthquakes7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What West Haven faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 West Haven flood?

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

392paid claims since 1978

$5.1Mpaid to owners

66homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 89 claims, $2.0M
Not a named storm: 82 claims, $307K
Hurricane Irene: 64 claims, $1.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. West Haven 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 West Haven

West Haven and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Havenmostly inland floodingModerate

Orangemostly inland floodingModerate

West Havenmostly inland floodingModerate

Woodmontmostly 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. West Haven covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Haven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of West Haven. 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 West Haven total about $10.9M 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.