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Natural hazards · Boston

Boston, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 209 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 Boston?

12
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Boston to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding52%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes11%Heat waves8%Cold waves8%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Boston faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Boston flood?

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

209paid claims since 1978
$4.1Mpaid to owners
26homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 29 claims, $172K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $116K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 5 claims, $33K

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. Boston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Suffolk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Boston

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BostonDeclared for Suffolk County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$4.7M to the City of Boston for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$3.6M to the City of Boston for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$4.2M to the City of Boston for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$2.8M to the City of Boston for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$1.9M to the City of Boston for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$235K to the City of Boston for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$2.2M to the City of Boston for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

189 households applied for aid $217K aid approved $789K to the City of Boston for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $65K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$3.3M to the City of Boston for repairs
2004

Flooding

13 households applied for aid $20K aid approved
2003

Snow

$3.5M to the City of Boston for repairs
Suffolk County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Boston

Boston and the towns around it

Milton: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookline: Very low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWinthrop Town: Low, mostly inland floodingDedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingRevere: Low, mostly inland floodingQuincy: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingChelsea: Low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingHull: Very high, mostly coastal floodingRandolph Town: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingNahant: Low, mostly inland floodingCanton: Very low, mostly inland floodingNeedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingSaugus: High, mostly inland floodingLynn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBraintree Town: High, mostly inland floodingWeymouth Town: Low, mostly inland floodingWellesley: Low, mostly inland floodingWeston: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHingham: Low, mostly inland floodingCohasset: Low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland flooding BostonMiltonBrooklineCambridgeWinthrop TownDedhamRevereQuincyNewtonChelseaWatertownEverettHull
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Hullmostly coastal floodingVery high
Quincymostly inland floodingModerate
Reveremostly inland floodingLow
Everettmostly inland floodingLow
Chelseamostly inland floodingLow
Watertownmostly inland floodingLow
Winthrop Townmostly inland floodingLow
Newtonmostly inland floodingLow
Cambridgemostly inland floodingLow
Miltonmostly inland floodingLow
Dedhammostly inland floodingVery low
Bostonmostly inland floodingVery low
Brooklinemostly 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. Boston covers 206 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Boston. 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 Boston total about $95.5M 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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