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North Canaan, ConnecticutPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in North Canaan · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in North Canaan than in 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Canaan gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #149 of 155 in Connecticut. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 90%Hurricanes 7%Tornadoes 2%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 85%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#149 of 155 in Connecticut
Hazard risk
C−#149 of 155
in Connecticut · higher than 85% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
90% of expected building damage
Flood claims
12
paid since 1979 · $156K
Flood claims per home
8 per 1,000
more than 69% of U.S. towns
By hazard

What North Canaan faces

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

River and rain flooding

90%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Ice storms Strong wind Hail Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind North Canaan’s grade

River and rain flooding is 90% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Canaan, and North Canaan’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 7% (higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts).

Where North Canaan sits
North Canaan
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #149 of 155 in Connecticut; higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of North Canaan’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding90%Hurricanes7%Everything else4%

The typical Connecticut town has higher expected damage than 62% of U.S. towns; within the state, North Canaan has more expected damage per building than 96% of Connecticut towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.3M a year in losses across North Canaan: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of North Canaan’s 3,211 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Canaan CDP (1,190 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does North Canaan flood? Sometimes: 12 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Canaan, from FEMA’s records: 7.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 69% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 1 claim1983: 0 claims1984: 4 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 4 claims2012: 1 claim2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919842011
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Irene3 claims · $56K
  • Hurricane Sandy1 claim · $56K
12
paid claims since 1979
$156K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$13K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

North Canaan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: the county.
Next door

North Canaan and its neighbors

North Canaan is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Salisbury: hazard risk C+Canaan: hazard risk CNorfolk: hazard risk C+SalisburyCanaanNorfolkNorth Canaan
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
SalisburyC+more damage than 61%river and rain flooding5
NorfolkC+more damage than 64%river and rain flooding1
CanaanCmore damage than 68%river and rain flooding3
North CanaanC−more damage than 85%river and rain flooding12

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what North Canaan faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in North Canaan

Is North Canaan at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Canaan has higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #149 of 155 in Connecticut. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%) and hurricanes (7%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does North Canaan flood?

Flood insurance has paid 12 claims in North Canaan since 1979, $156K in all, or 7.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 69% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (3).

Is North Canaan in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In the county, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in North Canaan?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Canaan’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in North Canaan?

By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 3 paid, $56K.

Is North Canaan at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (90%), and North Canaan’s rate for it is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Canaan.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Canaan’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.