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Natural hazards · Arlington

Arlington, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Arlington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 410 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Arlington?

61
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Arlington to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Hurricanes6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Arlington faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Arlington flood?

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

410paid claims since 1978
$2.2Mpaid to owners
39homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 51 claims, $738K
  • Not a named storm: 30 claims, $76K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ArlingtonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$189K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$258K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$258K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$67K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$75K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$133K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

399 households applied for aid $696K aid approved $170K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $27K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$133K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2004

Flooding

12 households applied for aid $24K aid approved
2003

Snow

$195K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
2001

Snow

$126K to the Town of Arlington for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Arlington

Arlington and the towns around it

Belmont: Low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland flooding ArlingtonBelmontMedfordCambridgeSomervilleLexingtonWinchester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate
Belmontmostly inland floodingLow
Somervillemostly inland floodingLow
Cambridgemostly inland floodingLow
Lexingtonmostly 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. Arlington covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Arlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Arlington. 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 Arlington total about $12.0M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Arlington, MAMiddlesex 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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