Natural hazards · Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ocean Beach comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 938 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ocean Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ocean Beach to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding79%Inland flooding17%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Ocean Beach faces

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

Coastal flooding

79% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Ocean Beach flood?

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

938paid claims since 1978

$57.7Mpaid to owners

150homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 404 claims, $40.1M
The “Halloween” storm: 177 claims, $3.3M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 140 claims, $1.8M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (44) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ocean Beach 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

48homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Ocean Beach

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Ocean BeachDeclared for Suffolk County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

2 households applied for aid

2012

Hurricane Sandy

349 households applied for aid $648K aid approved $15.0M to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

3 households applied for aid $71K to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$616K to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$29K to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

2009

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

$634K to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$87K to the Village of Ocean Beach for repairs

Suffolk County has had 28 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. Ocean Beach is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ocean Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Ocean Beach. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.