Natural hazards · Westchester

Westchester, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westchester comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 133 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Westchester?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westchester to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes49%Inland flooding38%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Westchester faces

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

Hurricanes

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Westchester flood?

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

133paid claims since 1979

$2.1Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 21 claims, $132K
Hurricane Katrina: 5 claims, $93K
Hurricane Andrew: 3 claims, $31K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dade County.

Disasters that hit Westchester

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestchesterDeclared for Dade County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

15 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Wilma

2 households applied for aid

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

Around Westchester

Westchester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sweetwatermostly inland floodingHigh

Fountainebleaumostly inland floodingHigh

Westwood Lakesmostly inland floodingHigh

Westchestermostly hurricanesHigh

Coral Terracemostly hurricanesHigh

Olympia Heightsmostly 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. Westchester covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westchester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Westchester. 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 Westchester total about $18.2M 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.