Natural hazards · Smithtown

Smithtown, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Smithtown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 225 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 Smithtown?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Smithtown to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes16%Earthquakes8%Cold waves5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Smithtown faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Smithtown flood?

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

225paid claims since 1978

$2.1Mpaid to owners

21homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 56 claims, $95K
Hurricane Sandy: 5 claims, $289K
December Storm - Nor'easter: 5 claims, $211K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Smithtown 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

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Smithtown

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SmithtownDeclared for Suffolk County only

2024

Severe Storm and Flooding

$1.5M to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

125 households applied for aid $115K aid approved $69K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$2.5M to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$472K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

399 households applied for aid $61K aid approved $7.0M to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

32 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $1.1M to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$933 to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$88K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$7K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

2003

Snow

$285K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$22K to the Town of Smithtown for repairs

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

Around Smithtown

Smithtown and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingLow

Lake Grovemostly inland floodingVery low

Islipmostly inland floodingVery low

Head of the Harbormostly inland floodingVery low

Smithtownmostly inland floodingVery low

Huntingtonmostly 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. Smithtown covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Smithtown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Smithtown. 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 Smithtown total about $20.6M 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.