Enter any address in New York County, New York to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in New York County, with 57 such events recorded in the last 30 years. This includes events like the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 1, 2021, which dropped 5-8 inches of rain across the region, causing catastrophic flash flooding. Another instance occurred on July 18, 2022, when thunderstorms produced 1 to 5 inches of rain. Coastal flooding and tropical storms have also occurred, with coastal flooding resulting in two fatalities.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have filed the most claims (755), with an average payout of $97,569 and an average water depth of 3.6 feet. Zone X also shows significant claims (236) with an average payout of $50,498 and 1.9 feet of water depth. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X_UNSHADED and X_SHADED which have seen higher average payouts, should pay particular attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
23 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
New York County, New York has recorded 87 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 57 flash floods and 17 river or area floods. The county has received 23 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2021 |
| Hurricane Henri | Hurricane | Aug 21, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 13, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Other | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Feb 17, 2003 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Oct 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 2, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2021 | 54.00M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2021 | 60.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | 4.50M |
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 18, 2022
Several rounds of heavy thunderstorms developed in the warm sector of a frontal system on July 18th, 2022. These thunderstorms developed in an environment with 2 to 2.3 inch PWAT values and CAPE near 3000 J/kg. Training thunderstorms produced a widespread 1 to 3 inches of rainfall with localized spots up to 4 to 5 inches.
Flash Flood — Aug 21, 2021
Showers and thunderstorms streaming northward well ahead of approaching Hurricane Henri resulted in flash flooding across portions of New York City and Western Long Island. This rainfall developed in a moisture-rich environment, with the 8pm sounding from Upton, NY recording precipitable water values around 2.25 inches. Rainfall totals from this predecessor rainfall event ranged from 1-5 inches...
Flash Flood — Jul 8, 2021
A predecessor rainfall event resulted in flash flooding across portions of the area as moisture streaming northward ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa encountered a stationary boundary draped across the area. Rainfall amounts ranged 2-4 inches across portions of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County, with lesser amounts elsewhere. The ASOS in Central Park reported 2.27 inches of rain from this...
Flash Flood — Sep 2, 2021
Extremely heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida overspread southeast New York during the evening of September 1 and continued through the early morning hours of September 2. Rainfall totals ranged from 5-8 inches across much of the region, with much of that rain falling in just a few hours. The ASOS at Central Park recorded 7.19 inches of rain, including 3.15 inches in a ...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in New York County, New York:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in New York County, New York that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.