Natural hazards · Surfside

Surfside, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Surfside comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 85 claims here since 1991. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Surfside?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes57%Inland flooding22%Coastal flooding6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Surfside faces

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

Hurricanes

57% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 2% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Surfside flood?

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

85paid claims since 1991

$1.8Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 15 claims, $344K
June South Florida Flooding: 14 claims, $400K
Hurricane Irene: 13 claims, $51K

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

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Surfside is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Dade County.

Disasters that hit Surfside

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SurfsideDeclared for Dade County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

1 household applied for aid

2017

Hurricane Irma

569 households applied for aid $234K aid approved $561K to the Town of Surfside for repairs

2005

Hurricane Wilma

173 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $431K to the Town of Surfside for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$54K to the Town of Surfside for repairs

2004

Hurricane Frances

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Dade County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Surfside covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Surfside’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Surfside. 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 Surfside total about $1.3M 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.