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Natural hazards · Babylon

Babylon, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Babylon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4,003 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Babylon?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Babylon to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Coastal flooding14%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes8%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Babylon faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Babylon flood?

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

4,003paid claims since 1978
$184Mpaid to owners
581homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 2,134 claims, $162M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 373 claims, $3.9M
  • Hurricane Irene: 358 claims, $8.5M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 10 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (95) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Babylon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Suffolk County.
Disasters that hit Babylon

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BabylonDeclared for Suffolk County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$56K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$2.0M to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$361K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$11.3M to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$1.2M to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$269K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$2K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
2003

Snow

$257K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$54K to the Town of Babylon for repairs
Suffolk County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Babylon

Babylon and the towns around it

Islip: Very low, mostly inland floodingBabylon: Low, mostly inland floodingOyster Bay: Very low, mostly inland floodingHuntington: Very low, mostly inland floodingAmityville: High, mostly inland floodingBrookhaven: Low, mostly inland floodingSmithtown: Very low, mostly inland floodingHempstead: Low, mostly inland floodingLloyd Harbor: Very low, mostly inland floodingGlen Cove: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hempstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingSea Cliff: Very low, mostly inland floodingLattingtown: Very low, mostly inland floodingLaurel Hollow: Very low, mostly inland floodingMatinecock: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingBabylon: Low, mostly inland flooding BabylonIslipBabylonOyster BayHuntingtonAmityville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Amityvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Babylonmostly inland floodingLow
Babylonmostly inland floodingLow
Oyster Baymostly inland floodingVery low
Islipmostly inland floodingVery low
Huntingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Babylon covers 51 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Babylon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Babylon. 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 Babylon total about $46.0M 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.

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You’re in Babylon, NYSuffolk CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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