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Natural hazards · Belmont

Belmont, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Belmont comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 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 Belmont?

37
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Belmont to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Hurricanes8%Earthquakes7%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Belmont faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

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

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Belmont flood?

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

18paid claims since 1978
$119Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $11K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $2K
  • Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Belmont 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 Belmont

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BelmontDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$234K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$234K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$179K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$108K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$83K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$119K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

143 households applied for aid $168K aid approved $79K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $13K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$177K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2004

Flooding

5 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2003

Snow

$260K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
2001

Snow

$118K to the Town of Belmont for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Belmont

Belmont and the towns around it

Waltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWeston: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland flooding BelmontWalthamArlingtonCambridgeWatertownLexington
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Walthammostly inland floodingModerate
Belmontmostly inland floodingLow
Watertownmostly 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. Belmont covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Belmont’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Belmont. 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 Belmont total about $5.5M 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 Belmont, 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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