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Natural hazards · Burlington

Burlington, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burlington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1979. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Burlington?

13
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burlington to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes10%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Burlington faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Burlington flood?

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

33paid claims since 1979
$190Kpaid to owners
8homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 6 claims, $63K
  • Not a named storm: 4 claims, $11K
  • Hurricane Elsa: 1 claim, $6K

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. Burlington 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 Burlington

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurlingtonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$168K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$166K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$180K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$27K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$14K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$138K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

361 households applied for aid $726K aid approved $157K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $79K aid approved $48K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $7K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$114K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2004

Flooding

13 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2003

Snow

$206K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
2001

Snow

$98K to the Town of Burlington for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Burlington

Burlington and the towns around it

Lexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland floodingChelmsford: Low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland flooding BurlingtonLexingtonWoburnWilmingtonBillericaBedford
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Billericamostly inland floodingVery low
Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Burlingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Woburnmostly 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. Burlington covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Burlington. 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 Burlington total about $5.6M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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