A Hurricane Irene Storm Surge Report from CoreLogic® Illustrates High Percent of Flood Risks Outside FEMA High-Risk Flood Zones
As Hurricane Irene bears down on the eastern seaboard of the United States, CoreLogic estimates 1,874,794 properties are at potential risk of storm surge flooding. The analysis, which assumes a Category 3 storm, shows Long Island, NY faces the highest risk with an estimated 387,813 properties located in the projected path of Irene. Of the properties at risk in Long Island, roughly 66 percent are located outside a hazard flood zone as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Of the total properties at risk in all 12 cities, almost half, or 48 percent, are not in a designated FEMA high-risk flood zone.
Hurricane-driven storm-surge flooding can cause significant property damage when high winds and low pressure causes water to amass inside the storm releasing a powerful rush over land when the hurricane moves on shore. In some cases, properties located outside of designated FEMA high-risk flood zones remain exposed to potential storm-surge damage.
This report underscores the risk of flooding to properties that are outside FEMA flood zones – properties that are not covered by federally mandated flood insurance. Given that homeowner’s insurance will not cover damage from flooding, including storm surge, it is vital for you to understand the risk to these properties.
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| Metro Area |
Total Properties At Risk for Surge and/or Flood Inundation |
Properties in FEMA Flood and Surge Zones |
Properties in FEMA Flood Zone Only |
Properties in Storm Surge Zone Only |
Percent Not in FEMA Flood Zone |
| Long Island, NY |
387,813
|
127,357
|
2,908
|
257,548
|
66%
|
| Virginia Beach, VA |
351,478
|
107,814
|
23,404
|
220,260
|
63%
|
| Providence, RI |
255,209
|
38,784
|
207,932
|
8,493
|
3%
|
| Boston, MA |
215,219
|
51,069
|
77,317
|
86,833
|
40%
|
| Philadelphia, PA/Camden, NJ |
179,566
|
20,199
|
15,618
|
143,829
|
80%
|
| Wilmington, NC |
104,263
|
55,932
|
10,533
|
37,798
|
36%
|
| Atlantic City, NJ |
81,301
|
53,687
|
9,797
|
17,817
|
22%
|
| Bridgeport, CT |
61,276
|
16,426
|
17,581
|
27,269
|
45%
|
| Cape Cod, MA |
50,923
|
27,472
|
2,883
|
20,568
|
40%
|
| Cape Hatteras, NC |
41,028
|
36,972
|
346
|
3,710
|
9%
|
| New York, NY |
25,673
|
5,261
|
133
|
20,279
|
79%
|
| Washington, DC |
2,083
|
431
|
1,413
|
239
|
11%
|
| TOTAL |
1,874,794
|
600,959
|
375,466
|
898,369
|
48%
|
