Natural hazards · Dennis

Dennis, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dennis comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 200 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 Dennis?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dennis to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes23%Coastal flooding18%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Dennis faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Coastal flooding

18% 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 Dennis flood?

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

200paid claims since 1978
$2.2Mpaid to owners
19homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Bob: 77 claims, $934K
  • December Nor'easter: 14 claims, $510K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 7 claims, $36K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dennis isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Barnstable County.
Disasters that hit Dennis

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DennisDeclared for Barnstable County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$266K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$104K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$92K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$97K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$100K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$26K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$49K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$130K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
2003

Snow

$83K to the Town of Dennis for repairs
Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Dennis

Dennis and the towns around it

Yarmouth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrewster: Low, mostly inland floodingHarwich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBarnstable Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrleans: Low, mostly inland floodingChatham: Low, mostly inland floodingDennis: Moderate, mostly inland flooding DennisYarmouthBrewsterHarwich
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Harwichmostly inland floodingModerate
Yarmouthmostly inland floodingModerate
Dennismostly inland floodingModerate
Brewstermostly 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. Dennis covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dennis’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dennis. 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 Dennis total about $6.1M 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Dennis, MABarnstable 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