Jones Family Historic District · Photo: National Park Service · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in North Key Largo than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Key Largo gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (70%), then coastal flooding (23%). Flood insurance has paid 135 claims here since 2005.
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 North Key Largo’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What North Key Largo 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
River and rain 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. 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 North Key Largo’s grade
Hurricanes are 70% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Key Largo, and North Key Largo’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 23%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Key Largo’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.9M a year in losses across North Key Largo: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Key Largo flood? Yes: 135 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Key Largo, from FEMA’s records: 75.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma91 claims · $2.8M
- Hurricane Ian18 claims · $380K
- Hurricane Wilma12 claims · $67K
North Key Largo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Monroe County.The storms North Key Largo remembers
None of the 35 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Key Largo itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201791 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for Monroe County
- 202218 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Ian, declared for Monroe County
- 200513 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Wilma, declared for Monroe County
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 North Key Largo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Key Largo archive →North Key Largo and its neighbors
North Key Largo is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Largo | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 680 |
| North Key Largo | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 135 |
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 North Key Largo 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.
- 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.
- 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 North Key Largo
Is North Key Largo at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Key Largo has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (70%) and coastal flooding (23%). 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 Key Largo flood?
Flood insurance has paid 135 claims in North Key Largo since 2005, $3.8M in all, or 75.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (91).
Is North Key Largo 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 North Key Largo?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Key Largo’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 Key Largo?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 91 paid, $2.8M.
Is North Key Largo at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (70%), and North Key Largo’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Key Largo.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Key Largo’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.