–Not graded

Natural hazards in North Bay Shore · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in North Bay Shore

North Bay Shore isn’t graded for hazard risk: North Bay Shore is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1991.

Flood claims

paid since 1991 · $1.4M

Disasters paid out here

of 26 declared for Suffolk County

By hazard

What North Bay Shore 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

66%of expected building damage

Well below average · lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

21%of expected building damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

12%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts

Smaller shares here

Tornadoes Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hail Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 10% of North Bay Shore’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood insurance claims

Does North Bay Shore flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1991

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Bay Shore, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year

199119922012

19912026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy12 claims · $1.3M
The December Storm - nor’easter2 claims · $2K
Hurricane Irene1 claim · $7K

paid claims since 1991

$1.4M

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$87K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Suffolk County.

Disasters

The storms North Bay Shore remembers

None of the 26 disasters declared for Suffolk County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Bay Shore itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

201212 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Sandy, declared for Suffolk County
19922 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, and Flooding, declared for Suffolk County
19911 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Bob, declared for Suffolk County

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in North Bay ShoreSuffolk County only

Suffolk County has had 26 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.

Were you here?

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

Add to the North Bay Shore archive →

Next door

North Bay Shore and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

BrentwoodBay ShoreBaywoodNorth Bay Shore

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)
Brentwood	—	0 residents; we grade 1,000+
Bay Shore	—	a Census area inside a town; graded with the town
Baywood	—	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.

Be ready

Get ready for what North Bay Shore faces

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

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.

Questions about natural hazards in North Bay Shore

Does North Bay Shore flood?

Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in North Bay Shore since 1991, $1.4M in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (12).

Is North Bay Shore 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 Suffolk County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 5.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in North Bay Shore?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Bay Shore’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 Bay Shore?

By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 12 paid, $1.3M.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Bay Shore.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

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

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