Storms, floods and disasters in Old Field
Old Field isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Old Field yet. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978.
What Old Field 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
Coastal 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.
Does Old Field flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Old Field, from FEMA’s records.
- The December Storm - nor’easter4 claims · $58K
- Hurricane Sandy3 claims · $53K
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $7K
Old Field 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.The storms Old Field remembers
None of the 26 disasters declared for Suffolk County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Old Field itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19924 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, and Flooding, declared for Suffolk County
- 20123 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Sandy, declared for Suffolk County
- 19802 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
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.
Old photos of Old Field after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Old Field archive →Old Field 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setauket | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Stony Brook | — | 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 Old Field 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.
- 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.
- 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 Old Field
Does Old Field flood?
Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Old Field since 1978, $178K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from December Storm - Nor'easter (4).
Is Old Field 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 Old Field?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Old Field’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 Old Field?
By flood claims, December Storm - Nor'easter: 4 paid, $58K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Old Field.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Old Field’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.