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C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Golden Beach · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Golden Beach than in 77% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Golden Beach gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (50%), then coastal flooding (31%). Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1991.

Hurricanes 50%Coastal flooding 31%River and rain flooding 18%

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 77%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Florida · higher than 77% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
50% of expected building damage
Flood claims
50
paid since 1991 · $1.6M
Flooded more than once
8
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
6
of 32 declared for its 2 counties

What stands out about Golden Beach’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Coastal flooding: the top 1% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for coastal flooding here ranks in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts; it is 30.7% of the damage it expects.Remembers 201710 flood claims were paid for 2017 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Golden Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

50%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

31%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

18%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Cold waves Strong wind Earthquakes Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
WildfireWinter stormsIce stormsAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Golden Beach’s grade

Hurricanes are 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in Golden Beach, and Golden Beach’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 31%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Golden Beach sits
Golden Beach
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes50%Coastal flooding31%River and rain flooding18%Everything else2%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $453K a year in losses across Golden Beach: $384K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, FEMA took 40 aid registrations from Golden Beach addresses (the town has 336 homes) and flood insurance paid 10 claims for $547K.
Shared tract.All of Golden Beach’s 961 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Golden Beach flood? Sometimes: 50 flood claims since 1991

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Golden Beach, from FEMA’s records: 148.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1991: 1 claim1992: 5 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 1 claim1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 6 claims2000: 3 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 1 claim2004: 0 claims2005: 6 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 2 claims2009: 2 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 1 claim2013: 6 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 10 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 1 claim2020: 2 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 3 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199920052017
19912026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Irma10 claims · $547K
  • Hurricane Irene6 claims · $30K
  • Hurricane Andrew5 claims · $53K
50
paid claims since 1991
$1.6M
paid to owners
8
homes flooded more than once
$31K
average claim
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

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

Insurance rates: Dade County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Golden Beach

Disasters that paid out in Golden Beach itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Golden Beach), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2024Hurricane Milton$91K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2017Hurricane Irma40 households applied for aid$20K aid approved$619K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs10 flood claims paid for it, $547K
  3. 2005Hurricane Wilma32 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$142K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $162K
  4. 2005Hurricane Katrina$33K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs
  5. 2004Hurricane Jeanne$6K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs
  6. 2004Hurricane Frances$26K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Golden Beachits 2 counties only

Its 2 counties have had 32 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in its 2 counties, 1999–2001.

Were you here?

Old photos of Golden Beach after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Golden Beach archive →
Next door

Golden Beach and its neighbors

Golden Beach is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Aventura: hazard risk B−AventuraGolden Beach
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
AventuraB−more damage than 50%hurricanes236
Golden BeachC−more damage than 77%hurricanes50

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 Golden Beach faces

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

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 ↗
When the tide surges
  • Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
  • Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
  • Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
More from Ready.gov ↗
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 ↗
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 Golden Beach

Is Golden Beach at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Golden Beach has higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (50%) and coastal flooding (31%). 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 Golden Beach flood?

Flood insurance has paid 50 claims in Golden Beach since 1991, $1.6M in all, or 148.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 8 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (10).

Is Golden Beach 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 Dade County, 74% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 33.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Golden Beach?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Golden Beach’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 Golden Beach?

By FEMA money that reached Golden Beach, Hurricane Irma (2017): 40 households applied for aid, $20K approved, and $619K to the Town of Golden Beach for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 10 paid, $547K.

Is Golden Beach at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and Golden Beach’s rate for it is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Golden Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Golden Beach’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.