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Natural hazards · Southold

Southold, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Southold comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 850 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Southold?

7
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Southold to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding50%Hurricanes21%Coastal flooding17%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Southold faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Coastal flooding

17% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Southold flood?

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

850paid claims since 1978
$16.8Mpaid to owners
82homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 321 claims, $12.1M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 153 claims, $2.1M
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 61 claims, $446K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (12) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Southold 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.
Disasters that hit Southold

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SoutholdDeclared for Suffolk County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

10 households applied for aid
2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$129K to the Town of Southold for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$116K to the Town of Southold for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

109 households applied for aid $206K aid approved $1.9M to the Town of Southold for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

9 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $311K to the Town of Southold for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$448K to the Town of Southold for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$250K to the Town of Southold for repairs
2003

Snow

$78K to the Town of Southold for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$28K to the Town of Southold for repairs
Suffolk County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Southold

Southold and the towns around it

East Hampton: Very low, mostly inland floodingShelter Island: Very low, mostly inland floodingRiverhead: Very low, mostly inland floodingWesterly: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingGroton: Low, mostly inland floodingStonington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSagaponack: Very low, mostly inland floodingBrookhaven: Low, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Stonington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCharlestown: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Hampton Dunes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew London: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLedyard: Low, mostly inland floodingGroton: Low, mostly inland floodingWaterford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthold: Very low, mostly inland flooding SoutholdEast HamptonShelter IslandRiverheadWesterlySouthamptonGrotonStonington
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Stoningtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Grotonmostly inland floodingLow
Westerlymostly inland floodingLow
Southamptonmostly inland floodingLow
East Hamptonmostly inland floodingVery low
Riverheadmostly inland floodingVery low
Southoldmostly inland floodingVery low
Shelter Islandmostly 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. Southold covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Southold’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Southold. 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 Southold total about $7.7M 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.

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You’re in Southold, NYSuffolk CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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