Natural hazards · Dover

Dover, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dover comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dover?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dover to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes11%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Dover faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Dover flood?

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

11paid claims since 1979

$83Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 5 claims, $8K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $66K

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. Dover 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 Dover

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DoverDeclared for Norfolk County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$45K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$52K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$31K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$75K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$55K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$39K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$36K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

42 households applied for aid $67K aid approved $34K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$48K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2003

Snow

$76K to the Town of Dover for repairs

2001

Snow

$27K to the Town of Dover for repairs

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

Around Dover

Dover and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wellesleymostly inland floodingLow

Medfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Dovermostly inland floodingVery low

Needhammostly inland floodingVery low

Sherbornmostly inland floodingVery low

Walpolemostly inland floodingVery low

Natickmostly inland floodingVery low

Westwoodmostly 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. Dover covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dover’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dover. 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 Dover total about $2.4M 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.