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Natural hazards · Dartmouth

Dartmouth, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dartmouth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 94 claims 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 Dartmouth?

8
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dartmouth to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding66%Hurricanes16%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Dartmouth faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Dartmouth flood?

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

94paid claims since 1978
$1.0Mpaid to owners
7homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Bob: 42 claims, $548K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $16K
  • Hurricane Sandy: 4 claims, $50K

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. Dartmouth isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bristol County.
Disasters that hit Dartmouth

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DartmouthDeclared for Bristol County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $21K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$115K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$246K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$133K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$142K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$135K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$104K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$15K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $73K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $234 aid approved $21K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$119K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
2003

Snow

$104K to the Town of Dartmouth for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Dartmouth

Dartmouth and the towns around it

Westport: Very low, mostly inland floodingNew Bedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingGosnold: Low, mostly inland floodingFall River: Low, mostly inland floodingLittle Compton: Very low, mostly inland floodingTiverton: Very low, mostly inland floodingFairhaven: Very low, mostly inland floodingAcushnet: Very low, mostly inland floodingFalmouth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAquinnah: Low, mostly inland floodingChilmark: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Tisbury: Low, mostly inland floodingTisbury: Low, mostly inland floodingDartmouth: Very low, mostly inland flooding DartmouthWestportNew BedfordGosnold
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Gosnoldmostly inland floodingLow
Westportmostly inland floodingVery low
New Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Dartmouthmostly 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. Dartmouth covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dartmouth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dartmouth. 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 Dartmouth total about $5.0M 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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