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Natural hazards · Andover

Andover, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Andover comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 147 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Andover?

38
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Andover to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Earthquakes8%Hurricanes8%Tornadoes5%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Andover faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Andover flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Andover, from FEMA’s records.

147paid claims since 1979
$8.1Mpaid to owners
29homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 40 claims, $1.5M
  • Not a named storm: 6 claims, $142K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $78K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Andover isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Essex County.
Disasters that hit Andover

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Andover itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Andover.

Brought FEMA money into AndoverDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$467K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$357K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$15K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$262K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

177 households applied for aid $305K aid approved $159K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$92K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

402 households applied for aid $968K aid approved $296K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$271K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2004

Flooding

32 households applied for aid $49K aid approved
2003

Snow

$532K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2001

Snow

$384K to the Town of Andover for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Andover

Andover and the towns around it

Tewksbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Very high, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingLowell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalem: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingLynnfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland flooding AndoverTewksburyMethuenWilmingtonDracutLawrenceNorth AndoverNorth Reading
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lawrencemostly inland floodingVery high
Dracutmostly inland floodingModerate
Andovermostly inland floodingLow
Methuenmostly inland floodingLow
North Readingmostly inland floodingLow
North Andovermostly inland floodingLow
Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Tewksburymostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Andover covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Andover’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Andover. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Andover total about $13.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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You’re in Andover, MAEssex CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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