Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Hawthorne
Hawthorne isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hawthorne is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 38 claims here since 1979.
What Hawthorne 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
Earthquakes
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.
Does Hawthorne flood? Sometimes: 38 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hawthorne, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene10 claims · $415K
- Hurricane Ida6 claims · $427K
- Hurricane Floyd4 claims · $241K
Hawthorne isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Westchester County.The storms Hawthorne remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Westchester County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hawthorne itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201111 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irene, declared for Westchester County
- 20216 flood claims paidThe year of Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared for Westchester County
- 19994 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, declared for Westchester County
Westchester County has had 23 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; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Hawthorne after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hawthorne archive →Hawthorne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornwood | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Hawthorne 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Hawthorne
Does Hawthorne flood?
Flood insurance has paid 38 claims in Hawthorne since 1979, $1.4M in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (10).
Is Hawthorne 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 Westchester County, 64% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hawthorne?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hawthorne’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 Hawthorne?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 10 paid, $415K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hawthorne.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hawthorne’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.