Photo: Florida Keys--Public Libraries from Key West, Fla., USA · CC BY 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Key Colony Beach
Key Colony Beach isn’t graded for hazard risk: Key Colony Beach has 511 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 644 claims here since 1980.
What Key Colony 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
Coastal flooding
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. 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.
Does Key Colony Beach flood? Yes: 644 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Key Colony Beach, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irma456 claims · $36.6M
- Hurricane Georges (Keys)100 claims · $2.1M
- Hurricane Irene23 claims · $245K
Key Colony Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Monroe County.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Key Colony Beach
Disasters that paid out in Key Colony Beach itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Key Colony Beach), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Hurricane Irma499 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved$2.1M to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs456 flood claims paid for it, $36.6M
- 2012Hurricane Isaac$18K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs
- 2008Tropical Storm Fay$34K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2005Hurricane Wilma15 households applied for aid$8K aid approved$212K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs17 flood claims paid for it, $265K
- 2005Tropical Storm Rita$36K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Katrina$22K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs5 flood claims paid for it, $34K
Show all 8
- 2005Hurricane Dennis$49K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs
- 1999Fl-hurricane Irene-dr-req$30K to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs23 flood claims paid for it, $245K
Monroe County has had 35 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 Monroe County, 1999–2001.
Old photos of Key Colony Beach after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Key Colony Beach archive →Key Colony Beach and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 2,134 |
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 Key Colony 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Key Colony Beach residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Key Colony Beach
Does Key Colony Beach flood?
Flood insurance has paid 644 claims in Key Colony Beach since 1980, $41.1M in all. 23 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (456).
Is Key Colony 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 Monroe County, 61% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 58.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Key Colony Beach?
Key Colony Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6), which takes 20% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Key Colony Beach?
By FEMA money that reached Key Colony Beach, Hurricane Irma (2017): 499 households applied for aid, $1.1M approved, and $2.1M to the City of Key Colony Beach for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 456 paid, $36.6M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Key Colony Beach.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Key Colony 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.