Key facts: West Palm Beach
A second storm finds the damage
Roofs weakened in one storm can fail in the next, and temporary tarps rarely last. Check attics after any named storm, not only the big ones.
The Lake Worth Lagoon
Low blocks by the lagoon can get tidal water during storms. Inland, older ranch homes more often see wind-driven rain around windows and doors.
Flood claims recorded in Palm Beach County
West Palm Beach sits in Palm Beach County. FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim with personal details removed, which gives a plain record of where water has reached insured buildings here.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Flood insurance claims on record | 10,758 |
| Year with the most claims | 2004 (1,926) |
| Largest named event | Hurricane Frances (1,203) |
| Claims outside high-risk A and V zones | 50% |
| Claims on buildings built before 1975 | 35% |
County-wide counts of insured claims only. Uninsured losses, burst pipes and appliance leaks are not in this data.
What the West Palm Beach claim record shows
For West Palm Beach homes, the local precedents are the events behind the most Palm Beach County claims: Hurricane Frances (1,203 claims), Hurricane Irene (1,194 claims) and Flooding (1,182 claims).
About 50% of claims with a recorded zone came from outside the high-risk A and V zones, so a moderate-risk label does not mean a West Palm Beach home stays dry.
A newer West Palm Beach home is not exempt: 65% of claims with a known build date involved homes built in 1975 or later.
Federal disaster history for Palm Beach County
FEMA lists 41 federal declarations covering Palm Beach County. The most common types are hurricane (25), freezing (5) and severe storm (3). The latest are Hurricane Milton in 2024, Hurricane Nicole in 2022 and Tropical Storm Nicole in 2022. If your loss falls inside an open declaration, West Palm Beach homeowners can check DisasterAssistance.gov as well as their insurance policy.
West Palm Beach weather and your home
Weather records for West Palm Beach from 2015 through 2024 average 64 inches of precipitation a year, and September and August are the wettest months. The area averages 10.7 days a year with an inch or more.
Freezing nights almost never happen in West Palm Beach, so the bigger concerns are storms, plumbing failures and humidity.
When rain falls in West Palm Beach
Seasonal averages for West Palm Beach, 2015 through 2024. Plan roof, gutter and sump pump checks before the wettest stretch.
| Season | Average | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | 8.4 in | 13% |
| April to June | 17.8 in | 28% |
| July to September | 25.2 in | 39% |
| October to December | 12.7 in | 20% |
Modeled from Open-Meteo historical weather data. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow.
West Palm Beach home checklist from these records
- Don't rely on recent quiet years. Only 12% of Palm Beach County claims date from 2015 or later, so older floods still show what can happen.
- Test any sump pump before September, since West Palm Beach averages 11 days a year with an inch or more.
- Keep dated photos of each room. After Hurricane Frances, 1,203 insured Palm Beach County owners filed claims at about the same time.
What to tell the West Palm Beach contractor
- Whether a roof is tarped
- How far you are from the lagoon
- Whether windows leaked
Services West Palm Beach callers ask about
Questions
West Palm Beach water damage questions
When should I check my roof?
After any storm with strong wind, safely from the ground or by a roofer.
Do you take calls from Boca Raton?
Coverage on file includes Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Jupiter.