Area guideShirley
Water Damage Restoration Help in Shirley, NY
Connect with a local specialist now.
The hamlet of Shirley · Town of Brookhaven
Water in the basement, a burst pipe, or sewage backing up into the house? Call and we'll connect you with a local specialist who covers Shirley, even if you don't know the cause yet.
Water doesn't stay where it lands. It soaks into drywall, insulation and flooring, and mold can start within 24 to 48 hours.
- You call Tell us what you're seeing
- We connect you With a local specialist covering all of Shirley
- They arrange A visit with you
Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid $3.5 million on 390 claims in ZIP 11967, which takes in Shirley, so water has reached homes here before.
Shirley at a glanceTap a figure to see it on the map
Flood risk: MediumFlood zone. 559 of the 8,833 addresses here are inside FEMA's mapped flood zone. 226 more are within about 100 ft of its edge.
If your home is in it, most mortgage lenders must require flood insurance. That is a separate policy from homeowner's insurance, which usually covers a burst pipe or leaking appliance.
The percentage above counts all developed land, including lawns, parks and roads, not just homes.
Each square is about 1,150 ft across. Color shows how many of its addresses are mapped inside the zone:
- Fewer than half
- Half or more
- All
Groundwater. At 2,087 of the 8,786 addresses measured here, groundwater is within 14 ft of the surface, close enough to reach a basement floor.
In those basements, water can seep up through the floor and come back after pumping. At the other 6,699, water in a basement usually comes in from above.
47 addresses fall where the groundwater map has no reading.
Each square is about 1,150 ft across. Color shows the typical depth under its addresses (USGS map, spring 2013):
- Within 10 ft1,583
- 10 to 14 ft504
- 14 to 25 ft1,706
- Deeper than 25 ft4,993
What is happening at your home?
Other water emergencies we cover
Not sure which one fits? Call (631) 440-4144 and tell us what you see.
Why water gets into Shirley homes
Water reaches Shirley homes from outside and from within. From outside, it is flooding. Inside the house, the risks are a cesspool backing up, a wet basement and an aging pipe giving way.
- Water coming in from outside. Flood insurance covers only basics below ground level, such as the furnace, the water heater, the electrical panel and unfinished walls, not finished floors or belongings stored there. A small part of Shirley, about 4.8% of its built-up land, is in FEMA's flood zone; on those streets a home has at least a 1-in-100 chance of flooding in any year. Since 1978, ZIP 11967 has logged 390 federal flood insurance claims, so flood water has reached buildings in this ZIP before. Look up your street. Storm Damage Restoration help
- Sewage coming up a drain. Sewage in the house is contaminated water, so it needs a crew that cleans, disinfects and dries, not a mop and a fan. Nearly every home in Shirley runs on a cesspool or septic tank, so a backup here means sewage coming up through the lowest drain in the house. Cesspool Overflow help in Shirley
- Water in the basement. Homeowners policies usually exclude groundwater seeping in, so photograph the damage and read your policy before the cleanup starts. Under Shirley, the water table averages 35 ft deep but sits much closer to the surface on some streets, and those are the basements that can take on water from below. Basement Flooding help in Shirley
- A leak or a burst pipe. To check for a hidden leak, turn off every tap and watch the water meter; if it still moves, water is going somewhere it should not. The average house in Shirley is about 51 years old, and in a house that age the usual sources of a sudden leak are the water heater, a supply line or a worn shutoff valve. Find the main shutoff before winter, because when a pipe bursts the first minutes decide how much of the house gets wet. Ceiling & Roof Leak Water Damage help
Insurance and safety guidance from FEMA FloodSmart, the CDC and the Red Cross. How we measured the figures.
Street by street in Shirley
See how many of its addresses are mapped inside the FEMA flood zone and how deep groundwater is mapped under it.
230 streets, from county address records. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Streets inside the FEMA flood zone
559 of 8,833 address points in Shirley are mapped inside a FEMA special flood hazard area. These streets hold the most of them:
- Trafalgar Dr — 57 of 80 addresses
- Lombardy Dr — 51 of 67 addresses
- Grandview Dr — 43 of 67 addresses
- Seymour Dr — 35 of 42 addresses
- Lyndale Ct — 30 of 30 addresses
- Saint George Dr W — 29 of 67 addresses
- Johns Neck Rd — 28 of 56 addresses
- Kent Dr — 27 of 30 addresses
Quick facts — Shirley
Flood and storm
- FEMA flood zone
- AE (100-yr floodplain)
- Hurricane Sandy high-water mark
- 4.8 ft The one mark USGS surveyed in Shirley after the 2012 storm, in feet above the NAVD88 datum — a reading at one point, not a level across all of Shirley. Ground elevation here averages 44 ft on the same datum.
- Water nearby
-
Bellport Bay to the south, Great South Bay to the south and Narrow Bay to the south.
Each direction is to its nearest point, from the center of Shirley.
All 10 named water features
- South: Bellport Bay, Great South Bay, Narrow Bay, Big Fish Creek Pond, East Cove, Little Fish Creek, Big Fish Creek, Unchachoque Creek, Johns Neck Creek
- North-west: Carmans River
Shirley's land area
- FEMA coastal wave zone (VE)
- FEMA 100-year floodplain (A, AE)
- The flood-zone figure above says how much of the land these zones cover.
Homes here
- Sewer status
- Unsewered (Cesspool/Septic)
- Home heating fuel
- 80% fuel oil Utility gas heats 6% of occupied homes in Shirley. Census estimates; the oil figure is within 8 points. Most homes here have an oil tank. In a flood, a tank can float or tip and spill. That is a separate cleanup from the water (NYS DEC). In a cold snap, an empty tank means no heat.
- When homes were built
- 1970s 33% of Shirley's homes were built in the 1970s, more than in any other decade band. Census estimate, within 5 points. Homes from the 1970s are about 50 years old. Past 30 years, an insurance-industry study (IBHS) found supply and drain pipe problems three times as likely.
In an emergency
- Nearest fire department
- Brookhaven Fire Department
- Nearest emergency shelter
- Eastport-South Manor Jr./Sr. High SchoolNot every shelter opens for every storm, and the nearest may stay closed. Suffolk County announces which ones open; follow its alerts and local news before you go.
- ZIP code
- 11967
Sources: FEMA NFHL / NOAA SLOSH, US Census ACS, USDA SSURGO, Suffolk County records. Verified 2026-10-18. How we measured this.
Shirley and nearby areas
3 of the other 5 areas compared here have a larger mapped floodplain share than Shirley.
- Mastic Beach 30.9%
- Brookhaven 10.1%
- Moriches 7.7%
- Shirley 4.8%
- Mastic 2.2%
- Yaphank 0.5%
Share of developed area inside FEMA's mapped floodplain, largest first.
4 of the other 5 areas compared here have shallower average groundwater than Shirley.
- Mastic Beach 10 ft
- Brookhaven 14 ft
- Moriches 19 ft
- Mastic 28 ft
- Shirley 35 ft
- Yaphank 45 ft
Average depth to groundwater, shallowest first.
4 of the other 5 areas compared here have lower average ground than Shirley.
- Mastic Beach 13 ft
- Brookhaven 22 ft
- Moriches 25 ft
- Mastic 43 ft
- Shirley 44 ft
- Yaphank 78 ft
Average height above sea level, lowest first.
Shirley's flood-zone share is 4.8%, close to the 10.3% average across the 5 areas around it — a typical reading for the area rather than an outlier.
Compared with the areas around Shirley. How we measured them.
Frequently asked questions about Shirley
Is Shirley in a flood zone?
Shirley's FEMA-mapped flood zone is AE (100-yr floodplain), covering about 4.8% of the developed area, per FEMA's flood map (NFHL).
Does Shirley have public sewer, or cesspools?
Shirley is unsewered — nearly every property runs on its own cesspool or septic system.
How deep is the water table in Shirley?
The measured water table runs about 35 ft below the surface on average across Shirley. It is mapped within 10 ft at 1,583 of 8,833 addresses and within 25 ft at 3,793.
How old are homes in Shirley?
The average home in Shirley is about 51 years old, and 33% of the housing stock predates 1970 — older plumbing and unwaterproofed foundations are a common factor in local water damage.
About the figures for Shirley
Check them at the source
Who to call for water damage in Shirley
(631) 440-4144Tell us what is happening. We connect you with a local specialist who covers Shirley.