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Natural hazards · Chatham

Chatham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chatham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 132 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Chatham?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chatham to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding53%Hurricanes28%Coastal flooding15%Everything else4%
By hazard

What Chatham faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Coastal flooding

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chatham flood?

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

132paid claims since 1978
$4.0Mpaid to owners
10homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 56 claims, $1.3M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 3 claims, $16K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Chatham is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Barnstable County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6homes raised above flood level
1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Chatham

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChathamDeclared for Barnstable County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$158K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$149K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$30K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$12K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$6K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$173K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$5K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$65K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
2003

Snow

$51K to the Town of Chatham for repairs
Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Chatham

Chatham and the towns around it

Harwich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrleans: Low, mostly inland floodingBrewster: Low, mostly inland floodingDennis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEastham: Low, mostly inland floodingChatham: Low, mostly inland flooding ChathamHarwichOrleans
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Harwichmostly inland floodingModerate
Chathammostly inland floodingLow
Orleansmostly inland floodingLow
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. Chatham covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chatham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chatham. 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 Chatham total about $3.7M 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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