Natural hazards · Highland Beach

Highland Beach, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highland Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highland Beach to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes44%Inland flooding34%Coastal flooding19%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Highland Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

19% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Highland Beach flood?

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

11paid claims since 1979

$404Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 3 claims, $299K
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $1K
Hurricane Frances: 1 claim, $70K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Palm Beach County.

Disasters that hit Highland Beach

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Highland Beach itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Highland Beach.

Brought FEMA money into Highland BeachDeclared for Palm Beach County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

1 household applied for aid

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$14K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

104 households applied for aid $37K aid approved $71K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$8K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Wilma

193 households applied for aid $67K aid approved $116K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

16 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $17K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

2004

Hurricane Frances

28 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $29K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

1999

Fl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req

$12K to the Town of Highland Beach for repairs

Palm Beach County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and freezes.

Around Highland Beach

Highland Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highland Beachmostly hurricanesVery high

Boca Ratonmostly hurricanesHigh

Delray Beachmostly hurricanesHigh

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. Highland Beach covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highland Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Highland Beach. 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 Highland Beach total about $2.6M 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.