Natural hazards · Eastham

Eastham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Eastham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 64 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 Eastham?

29
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Eastham to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding39%Hurricanes30%Coastal flooding26%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Eastham faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Coastal flooding

26% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% 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 Eastham flood?

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

64paid claims since 1978
$879Kpaid to owners
8homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 8 claims, $131K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 5 claims, $47K
  • Not a named storm: 4 claims, $15K

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
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Eastham is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Barnstable County.
Disasters that hit Eastham

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EasthamDeclared for Barnstable County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$36K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$67K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$17K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$54K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$21K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$1K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$26K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
2003

Snow

$15K to the Town of Eastham for repairs
Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Eastham

Eastham and the towns around it

Wellfleet: Moderate, mostly coastal floodingOrleans: Low, mostly inland floodingTruro: Low, mostly inland floodingBrewster: Low, mostly inland floodingHarwich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChatham: Low, mostly inland floodingEastham: Low, mostly inland flooding EasthamWellfleetOrleans
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Wellfleetmostly coastal floodingModerate
Easthammostly 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. Eastham covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Eastham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Eastham. 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 Eastham total about $2.1M 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 coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Eastham, MABarnstable CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Eastham is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01