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Natural hazards · Carlisle

Carlisle, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carlisle comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 Carlisle?

9
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carlisle to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes6%Drought5%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Carlisle faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Drought

5% of expected damage
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Carlisle flood?

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

1paid claims since 1978
$7Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Carlisle 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 Carlisle

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarlisleDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$55K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$36K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$21K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$45K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$3K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $42K aid approved $29K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$60K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$20K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2003

Snow

$29K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
2001

Snow

$18K to the Town of Carlisle for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Carlisle

Carlisle and the towns around it

Bedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingChelmsford: Low, mostly inland floodingActon: Very low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestford: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLowell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLittleton: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingStow: Low, mostly inland floodingSudbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingGroton: Very low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland flooding CarlisleBedfordBillericaChelmsfordActonConcordWestford
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Chelmsfordmostly inland floodingLow
Actonmostly inland floodingVery low
Billericamostly inland floodingVery low
Westfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Concordmostly inland floodingVery low
Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Carlislemostly 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. Carlisle covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carlisle’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Carlisle. 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 Carlisle total about $1.5M 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 Carlisle, 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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