On FEMA’s figures, Kendall West faces more hazard damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kendall West gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #387 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%), then hurricanes (37%). Flood insurance has paid 494 claims here since 1981.
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
What stands out about Kendall West’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Kendall West 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
Hurricanes
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.
What’s behind Kendall West’s grade
River and rain flooding is 61% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kendall West, and Kendall West’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts. Hurricanes add 37%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
D #387 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Kendall West’s residents live in 8 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Florida town has higher expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Kendall West has more expected damage per building than 61% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $9.7M a year in losses across Kendall West: $7.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kendall West flood? Yes: 494 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kendall West, from FEMA’s records: 37.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irene269 claims · $1.0M
- Hurricane Katrina44 claims · $502K
- Hurricane Irma8 claims · $77K
Kendall West 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.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Kendall West
Disasters that paid out in Kendall West itself (aid to households or repair grants to Kendall West), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Hurricane Irma18 households applied for aid$7K aid approved8 flood claims paid for it, $77K
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.
Old photos of Kendall West after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kendall West archive →Kendall West and its neighbors
Kendall West has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendall West | Dmore damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 494 |
| Kendale Lakes | Dmore damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 831 |
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.
Get ready for what Kendall West faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Kendall West
Is Kendall West at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kendall West has higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #387 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%) and hurricanes (37%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Kendall West flood?
Flood insurance has paid 494 claims in Kendall West since 1981, $2.5M in all, or 37.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (269).
Is Kendall West 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 Kendall West?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kendall West’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 Kendall West?
By FEMA money that reached Kendall West, Hurricane Irma (2017): 18 households applied for aid, $7K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 269 paid, $1.0M.
Is Kendall West at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (61%), and Kendall West’s rate for it is higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kendall West.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kendall West’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.