West Hempstead is calmer than 75% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Hempstead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979.
What stands out about West Hempstead’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is West Hempstead?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 1,045 of the 1,524 New York towns we cover.
West Hempstead covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
What West Hempstead faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Does West Hempstead flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Hempstead, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late summer storms1 claim · $1K
West Hempstead isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Nassau County.Federal disasters declared here
None of the disasters declared for Nassau County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Hempstead itself in FEMA’s records.
Nassau County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Get ready for what West Hempstead actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
West Hempstead and its neighbors
West Hempstead ranks 2nd calmest of 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead | Low | inland flooding | 12 |
| West Hempstead | Low | inland flooding | 16 |
| Garden City | Very low | inland flooding | 2 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Nassau County’s 24 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to West Hempstead’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to West Hempstead.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across West Hempstead, expected losses total about $3.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Hempstead.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.