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Natural hazards · Hempstead

Hempstead, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hempstead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19,033 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 Hempstead?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hempstead to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Coastal flooding11%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes8%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Hempstead faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

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 Hempstead flood?

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

19,033paid claims since 1978
$979Mpaid to owners
2,648homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 11,974 claims, $878M
  • Hurricane Irene: 2,051 claims, $46.9M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 833 claims, $9.5M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 45 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (260) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HempsteadDeclared for Nassau County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$271K to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$4.3M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$37.4M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$2.6M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$1.4M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.1M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding Assoc W Td Ida & Nor'easter

$592K to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
2003

Snow

$1.4M to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$113K to the Town of Hempstead for repairs
Nassau County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Hempstead

Hempstead and the towns around it

Oyster Bay: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew York: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hempstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingGarden City: Very low, mostly inland floodingValley Stream: Low, mostly inland floodingAtlantic Beach: Low, mostly inland floodingHuntington: Very low, mostly inland floodingLloyd Harbor: Very low, mostly inland floodingGlen Cove: Very low, mostly inland floodingBabylon: Low, mostly inland floodingAmityville: High, 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 floodingYonkers: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Vernon: Low, mostly inland floodingLinden: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham Manor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBayonne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreat Neck Estates: Low, mostly inland floodingElizabeth: Low, mostly inland floodingRoslyn Harbor: Very low, mostly inland floodingLake Success: Very low, mostly inland floodingEast Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingOld Westbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingCedarhurst: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodsburgh: Low, mostly inland floodingLong Beach: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHempstead: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Hyde Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingStewart Manor: Very low, mostly inland floodingMineola: Very low, mostly inland floodingLynbrook: Low, mostly inland floodingMalverne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHempstead: Low, mostly inland flooding HempsteadOyster BayNew YorkNorth HempsteadLawrenceGarden CityValley StreamAtlantic Beach
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Valley Streammostly inland floodingLow
Atlantic Beachmostly inland floodingLow
Hempsteadmostly inland floodingLow
Lawrencemostly inland floodingLow
New Yorkmostly inland floodingVery low
Oyster Baymostly inland floodingVery low
Garden Citymostly inland floodingVery low
North Hempsteadmostly 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. Hempstead covers 150 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hempstead’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hempstead. 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 Hempstead total about $176M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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