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Nassau County, New York
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 700 events for Nassau County, New York, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 246.0 events per 100 square miles, above the New York figure of 120.3, and 5.0 per 10,000 residents against 28.6 statewide.
7 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 6 deaths and 62 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $28M.
FEMA has designated the county in 31 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storm And Flooding (major disaster, 30 Jan 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 51,523 claims since 1978, of which 44,579 were paid, totalling $2.3B (about $51K per paid claim). FEMA counts 35,824 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($299M a year across 18 hazards).
56 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 6 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with New York and the United States
| Measure | Nassau County | New York | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 700 | 56,675 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 246.0 | 120.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 5.0 | 28.6 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 7 | 1,948 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 6 | 578 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $28M | $5.7B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 37.0 | 8.8 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $51K | $40K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 5.9 | 10.1 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 451 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 222 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 2000 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 18 Sep 2003 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 19 Jan 1997 | Cold/Wind Chill | Cold | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Jan 1997 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 16 Jan 1997 | Strong Wind | Wind | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2006 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Jun 2002 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $500K | — | — | 14 | County |
| 27 Aug 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 12 | County |
| 7 Sep 1998 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $1.0M | — | — | 6 | County |
| 4 Jul 2006 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 27 Jul 2008 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 14 Jul 2016 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 12 Feb 2009 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 4 | Forecast zone |
| 24 Jul 1997 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 18 Jul 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $10K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 14 Oct 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $11M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 9 Apr 1998 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 14 Oct 1999 | Strong Wind | Wind | — | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 12 Dec 2000 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 2024 | DR-4755 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2021 | DR-4615 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Sep 2021 | EM-3572 | Emergency | Hurricane | Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2021 | EM-3565 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Henri | Public assistance |
| 2 Oct 2020 | DR-4567 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias | Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2020 | DR-4480 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3434 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 30 Oct 2012 | DR-4085 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Oct 2012 | EM-3351 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 31 Aug 2011 | DR-4020 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Aug 2011 | EM-3328 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 18 Feb 2011 | DR-1957 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 16 Apr 2010 | DR-1899 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 31 Dec 2009 | DR-1869 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding Assoc W Td Ida & Nor'Easter | Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2005 | EM-3262 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 3 Aug 2004 | DR-1534 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | — |
| 23 Aug 2003 | EM-3186 | Emergency | Other | Power Outage | Public assistance |
| 27 Mar 2003 | EM-3184 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 2001 | DR-1391 | Major disaster | Fire | Fires And Explosions | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Oct 2000 | EM-3155 | Emergency | Other | West Nile Virus | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 1999 | DR-1296 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 1998 | DR-1244 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Ny - Severe Wx, Sept 7, 1998 | Public assistance |
| 19 Nov 1996 | DR-1146 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Heavy Rains, High Winds | Individual assistance |
| 12 Jan 1996 | DR-1083 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Public assistance |
| 17 Mar 1993 | EM-3107 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard | Public assistance |
| 21 Dec 1992 | DR-974 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Oct 1985 | DR-750 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria | Public assistance |
| 17 Apr 1984 | DR-702 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Sep 1976 | DR-520 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Belle | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Sep 1971 | DR-311 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 1965 | DR-204 | Major disaster | Drought | Water Shortage | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 3 | $21,180 | $7,060 |
| 2025 | 23 | 13 | $524,802 | $40,369 |
| 2024 | 175 | 129 | $3,525,096 | $27,326 |
| 2023 | 727 | 587 | $11,648,690 | $19,844 |
| 2022 | 603 | 493 | $16,407,697 | $33,281 |
| 2021 | 289 | 186 | $5,901,003 | $31,726 |
| 2020 | 58 | 22 | $489,896 | $22,268 |
| 2019 | 52 | 18 | $819,271 | $45,515 |
| 2018 | 129 | 69 | $2,517,405 | $36,484 |
| 2017 | 47 | 23 | $401,770 | $17,468 |
| 2016 | 59 | 22 | $340,257 | $15,466 |
| 2015 | 43 | 12 | $224,742 | $18,728 |
| 2014 | 265 | 151 | $1,825,779 | $12,091 |
| 2013 | 98 | 45 | $412,972 | $9,177 |
| 2012 | 27,136 | 25,951 | $2,007,761,416 | $77,367 |
| 2011 | 7,257 | 6,121 | $134,768,482 | $22,017 |
| 2010 | 960 | 674 | $6,489,519 | $9,628 |
| 2009 | 64 | 43 | $579,734 | $13,482 |
| 2008 | 85 | 56 | $643,015 | $11,482 |
| 2007 | 276 | 208 | $2,737,788 | $13,162 |
| 2006 | 40 | 23 | $483,573 | $21,025 |
| 2005 | 2,115 | 1,702 | $13,655,762 | $8,023 |
| 2004 | 47 | 16 | $113,801 | $7,113 |
| 2003 | 108 | 50 | $160,084 | $3,202 |
| 2002 | 70 | 31 | $150,229 | $4,846 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $183,887,235 | |
| Earthquake | $28,012,937 | |
| Hurricane | $27,092,749 | |
| Coastal flooding | $24,281,057 | |
| Cold wave | $9,880,313 | |
| Heat wave | $8,285,041 | |
| Strong wind | $4,466,799 | |
| Ice storm | $3,894,544 | |
| Tornado | $3,692,178 | |
| Lightning | $2,971,938 | |
| Winter weather | $2,015,406 | |
| Hail | $95,846 | |
| Wildfire | $36,149 | |
| Landslide | $11,436 | |
| Drought | $2,412 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa | 2021 | 39 mi | 58 mph |
| Henri | 2021 | 98 mi | 46 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 42 mi | 46 mph |
| Fay | 2020 | 52 mi | 40 mph |
| Isaias | 2020 | 80 mi | 63 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 57 mi | 46 mph |
| Sandy | 2012 | 98 mi | 81 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 23 mi | 63 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 70 mi | 52 mph |
| Barry | 2007 | 78 mi | 40 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 99 mi | 40 mph |
| Allison | 2001 | 93 mi | 46 mph |
| Floyd | 1999 | 10 mi | 58 mph |
| Bertha | 1996 | 60 mi | 69 mph |
| Gloria | 1985 | 18 mi | 86 mph |
| Henri | 1985 | 43 mi | 40 mph |
| Belle | 1976 | 28 mi | 69 mph |
| Agnes | 1972 | 38 mi | 63 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 33 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 18 mi | 63 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1961 | 20 mi | 63 mph |
| Brenda | 1960 | 19 mi | 58 mph |
| Donna | 1960 | 36 mi | 98 mph |
| Cindy | 1959 | 97 mi | 58 mph |
| Diane | 1955 | 31 mi | 46 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 11561 9,653
- 11520 6,598
- 11758 5,389
- 11572 4,458
- 11558 3,420
- 11783 2,243
- 11710 2,216
- 11518 2,206
- 11510 2,126
- 11566 2,053
- 11581 1,603
- 11709 1,384
- 11509 1,177
- 11598 1,151
- 11793 1,024
- 11559 664
- 11516 563
- 11557 369
- 11096 360
- 11569 309
- 11050 256
- 11762 226
- 11542 187
- 11024 181
- 11023 140
- 11580 119
- 11771 111
- 11576 103
- 11021 96
- 11030 82
- 11570 71
- 11554 70
- 11040 67
- 11560 66
- 11803 53
- 11020 48
- 11579 44
- 11753 43
- 11797 43
- 11552 42
- 11550 40
- 11545 34
- 11791 34
- 11010 28
- 11735 27
- 11801 27
- 11530 24
- 11563 24
- 11577 22
- 11590 22
- 11501 19
- 11003 18
- 11553 18
- 11714 17
- 11756 16
- 11507 15
- 11804 15
- 11514 14
- 11575 14
- 11568 12
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Nassau County, NY?
NCEI records 81 hail events in Nassau County since 1950, in 26 different years; that is about 1.1 recorded events a year. 10 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Nassau County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 9 tornadoes in Nassau County since 1950, 3 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Nassau County?
30 Jan 2024: Severe Storm And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 31 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Nassau County, and how much was paid?
51,523 NFIP claims since 1978, 44,579 of them paid, for $2.3B in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Nassau County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Nassau County compare with the rest of New York?
246.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 120.3 statewide, and 37.0 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 8.8. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.