Storms, floods and disasters in West Hills
West Hills isn’t graded for hazard risk: West Hills is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1978.
What West Hills 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 West Hills flood? Sometimes: 20 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Hills, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene2 claims · $3K
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $7K
West Hills 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 West Hills remembers
None of the 26 disasters declared for Suffolk County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Hills itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19795 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19803 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19842 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storms and Flooding, declared for Suffolk County
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 West Hills after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Hills archive →West Hills 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 411 |
| Oyster Bay | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 4,654 |
| Melville | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| South Huntington | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Cold Spring Harbor | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Woodbury | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Huntington Station | — | 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 West Hills 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 West Hills
Does West Hills flood?
Flood insurance has paid 20 claims in West Hills since 1978, $128K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (2).
Is West Hills 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 West Hills?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Hills’ 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 West Hills?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 2 paid, $3K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Hills.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Hills’ 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.