Natural hazards · Long Beach

Long Beach, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Long Beach comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7,672 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Long Beach?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Long Beach to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Coastal flooding15%Earthquakes6%Hurricanes5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Long Beach faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

15% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% 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 Long Beach flood?

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

7,672paid claims since 1978

$433Mpaid to owners

897homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 5,434 claims, $407M
Hurricane Irene: 702 claims, $12.2M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 429 claims, $4.4M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 15 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (80) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Long Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Nassau County.

Disasters that hit Long Beach

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Long BeachDeclared for Nassau County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$87K to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

96 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$187K to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

15,849 households applied for aid $74.4M aid approved $232M to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

414 households applied for aid $787K aid approved $1.6M to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$194K to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2009

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

$63K to the City of Long Beach for repairs

2003

Snow

$41K to the City of Long Beach for repairs

Nassau County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Long Beach

Long Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Long Beachmostly inland floodingModerate

Lawrencemostly inland floodingLow

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. Long Beach covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Long Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Long 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 Long Beach total about $10.2M 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.