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Natural hazards · Fairhaven

Fairhaven, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairhaven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 336 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fairhaven?

17
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairhaven to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding53%Coastal flooding20%Hurricanes13%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Fairhaven 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
Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

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 Fairhaven flood?

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

336paid claims since 1978
$3.7Mpaid to owners
15homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Bob: 210 claims, $3.0M
  • Hurricane Sandy: 10 claims, $163K
  • Hurricane Ida: 3 claims, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fairhaven 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 Fairhaven

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairhavenDeclared for Bristol County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$75K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$70K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$84K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$16K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$74K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $10K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $9K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$41K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
2003

Snow

$52K to the Town of Fairhaven for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Fairhaven

Fairhaven and the towns around it

New Bedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMattapoisett: Low, mostly inland floodingAcushnet: Very low, mostly inland floodingDartmouth: Very low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Low, mostly inland floodingMarion: Low, mostly inland floodingFreetown: Low, mostly inland floodingFairhaven: Very low, mostly inland flooding FairhavenNew BedfordMattapoisettAcushnet
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Mattapoisettmostly inland floodingLow
Fairhavenmostly inland floodingVery low
New Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Acushnetmostly 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. Fairhaven covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairhaven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Fairhaven. 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 Fairhaven total about $2.2M 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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