Natural hazards · Pelham

Pelham, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pelham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 61 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pelham?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding76%Earthquakes7%Hurricanes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Pelham faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Pelham flood?

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

61paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 20 claims, $731K
Not a named storm: 6 claims, $13K
Late-September New York Flooding: 4 claims, $56K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Westchester County.

Disasters that hit Pelham

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PelhamDeclared for Westchester County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

320 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $43K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

51 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $248K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

23 households applied for aid $40K aid approved $74K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$44K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

168 households applied for aid $270K aid approved $33K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

2003

Snow

$6K to the Village of Pelham for repairs

Westchester County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Pelham

Pelham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pelham Manormostly inland floodingModerate

Pelhammostly inland floodingModerate

Mount Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

New Rochellemostly 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. Pelham covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pelham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Pelham. 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 Pelham total about $2.0M 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.