Natural hazards · Riverhead

Riverhead, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Riverhead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 632 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Riverhead?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Riverhead to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes27%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Riverhead faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Riverhead flood?

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

632paid claims since 1978

$12.9Mpaid to owners

63homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 227 claims, $8.4M
December Storm - Nor'easter: 119 claims, $2.2M
Torrential rain: 57 claims, $467K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Riverhead 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

35flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Riverhead

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RiverheadDeclared for Suffolk County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

59 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$299K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$126K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$130K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

316 households applied for aid $413K aid approved $1.0M to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

15 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $147K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$15K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$315K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$32K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

2003

Snow

$80K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$15K to the Town of Riverhead for repairs

Suffolk County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Riverhead

Riverhead and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingLow

Southamptonmostly inland floodingLow

Riverheadmostly inland floodingVery low

Southoldmostly 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. Riverhead covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Riverhead’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Riverhead. 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 Riverhead total about $9.7M 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.