Natural hazards · Barnstable

Barnstable, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barnstable comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 197 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Barnstable?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barnstable to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding51%Hurricanes22%Coastal flooding19%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Barnstable faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Coastal flooding

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Barnstable flood?

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

197paid claims since 1978

$3.3Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Bob: 83 claims, $1.3M
The “Halloween” storm: 8 claims, $93K
December Storm - Nor'easter: 7 claims, $36K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Barnstable isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Barnstable County.

Disasters that hit Barnstable

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Barnstable County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Barnstable itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into BarnstableDeclared for Barnstable County only

Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Barnstable

Barnstable and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mashpeemostly inland floodingModerate

Barnstable Townmostly inland floodingModerate

Yarmouthmostly inland floodingModerate

Sandwichmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Barnstable covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Barnstable’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Barnstable. 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 Barnstable total about $17.0M 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.