Natural hazards · Cambridge

Cambridge, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cambridge comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 42 claims here since 1985. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cambridge?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cambridge to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Earthquakes13%Hurricanes12%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Cambridge 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

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

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 Cambridge flood?

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

42paid claims since 1985

$2.0Mpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 9 claims, $328K
Hurricane Elsa: 1 claim, $5K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $1K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Cambridge is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Middlesex County.

Disasters that hit Cambridge

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CambridgeDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$622K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$834K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$507K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$95K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$304K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2010

Hurricane Earl

$13K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

106 households applied for aid $71K aid approved $220K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $2K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$335K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2003

Snow

$437K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

2001

Snow

$267K to the City of Cambridge for repairs

Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Cambridge

Cambridge and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Belmontmostly inland floodingLow

Somervillemostly inland floodingLow

Watertownmostly inland floodingLow

Cambridgemostly inland floodingLow

Bostonmostly 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. Cambridge covers 33 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cambridge’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cambridge. 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 Cambridge total about $18.3M 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.