Natural hazards · White Plains

White Plains, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White Plains comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 127 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White Plains?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White Plains to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes6%Cold waves6%Strong wind5%Heat waves5%Everything else4%

By hazard

What White Plains faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 White Plains flood?

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

127paid claims since 1978

$1.7Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 25 claims, $47K
Hurricane Ida: 20 claims, $977K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $221K

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. White Plains 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 White Plains

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in White Plains itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of White Plains.

Brought FEMA money into White PlainsDeclared for Westchester County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$26K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,041 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved $897K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2020

Tropical Storm Isaias

$758K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

495 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $1.9M to the City of White Plains for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

212 households applied for aid $636K aid approved $291K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$374K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

220 households applied for aid $226K aid approved $18K to the City of White Plains for repairs

2003

Snow

$92K to the City of White Plains for repairs

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

Around White Plains

White Plains and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery low

North Castlemostly inland floodingVery low

Scarsdalemostly inland floodingVery low

White Plainsmostly inland floodingVery low

Greenburghmostly 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. White Plains covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to White Plains’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of White Plains. 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 White Plains total about $8.7M 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.