Natural hazards · Canton

Canton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canton to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes8%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Canton faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% 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 Canton flood?

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

26paid claims since 1978

$143Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 6 claims, $23K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $33K

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. Canton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Norfolk County.

Disasters that hit Canton

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CantonDeclared for Norfolk County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$178K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$121K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$23K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$975K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$191K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$100K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$124K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

254 households applied for aid $374K aid approved $184K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$109K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2004

Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

Snow

$188K to the Town of Canton for repairs

2001

Snow

$77K to the Town of Canton for repairs

Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Canton

Canton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dedhammostly inland floodingVery low

Norwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low

Westwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Stoughtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Sharonmostly 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. Canton covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Canton. 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 Canton total about $5.3M 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.