1,945 flood insurance claims·$27.4M paid·5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Bronx County, New York. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and heavy rainfall events dominates the flood profile of Bronx County, based on 60 recorded flash flood events out of 94 total flood events over the last thirty years, alongside 18 general floods, 12 coastal floods, 3 tropical storms, and 1 storm surge event resulting in 1 death.
Intense rainfall systems drive these hazards, as demonstrated by storms in July 2024 and August 2024. During the July 2024 event, a weak front and high precipitable water brought 4 to 6.5 inches of rain with rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Similarly, a stalled frontal system in August 2024 produced torrential rainfall rates of 1.5 to 2.5 inches per hour, with localized totals reaching 4 to 5 inches.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows widespread risk across zones. Zone A accounts for 964 claims with an average water depth of 8 inches and an average payout of $22,037, while Zone V records 192 claims with an average water depth of 10 inches and an average payout of $22,001. Additionally, Zone X records 307 claims with an average water depth of 9 inches and an average payout of $25,815, and Zone X shaded records 111 claims with an average water depth of 6 inches and an average payout of $15,604. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists in coastal and mapped high-risk zones should pay the closest attention to these hazards, given the combination of frequent flash flooding and significant insurance claims across multiple zone types.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
15% of Bronx County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,360 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2012, with 547 claims and $13.0M paid, the year of Hurricane Sandy.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
30 NOAA storm reports from Bronx County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New York flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1971, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Hurricane Henri | Aug 21, 2021 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 26, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 13, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Aug 14, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
94 since 1996: 60 flash floods, 18 river or area floods and 13 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Oct 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 29, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Oct 30, 2025. A widespread rainfall of 1.5 to 2.5 inches resulted in flooding as a frontal system triggered thunderstorms across the NYC Metro area.
Flash Flood · Jul 14, 2025. A weak front approached from the west along with PW of 2 inches resulting in heavy rainfall across the area. 4 to 6.5 inches of rainfall totals were reported with rainfall rates between 1 to 2 inches.
Coastal Flood · Jan 13, 2024. Strong low pressure shifted northeast through the eastern Great Lakes on January 13, 2024, sending a warm front through during the morning hours, followed quickly by a cold front. Strong winds produced by this system, combined with peaking high astronomical tides associated with a recent new moon, produced widespread moderate to major coastal flooding along the entire southeast New York coastline and along the Low…
Flash Flood · Aug 6, 2024. Several rounds of heavy thunderstorms developed over the area on the afternoon of August 6th. A slow moving frontal system stalled out over the area. PWATs of 2-2.2 inches and a sharp gradient of MUCAPE peaking out over the area near 2500 J/kg allowed for the development of strong thunderstorms producing torrential rainfall with rates upwards of 1.5-2.5 inches per hour. Total rainfall was 1-3 inches with localized…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Bronx County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.