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Natural hazards · Freetown

Freetown, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Freetown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1991. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Freetown?

26
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Freetown to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Hurricanes12%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Freetown faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Freetown flood?

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

34paid claims since 1991
$292Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19912026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 16 claims, $184K
  • Hurricane Bob: 8 claims, $63K
  • Hurricane Sandy: 3 claims, $12K

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. Freetown 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 Freetown

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FreetownDeclared for Bristol County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$82K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$60K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$68K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$12K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$15K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved $2.5M to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$31K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
2003

Snow

$26K to the Town of Freetown for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Freetown

Freetown and the towns around it

Berkley: Low, mostly inland floodingAcushnet: Very low, mostly inland floodingFall River: Low, mostly inland floodingLakeville: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerset: Very low, mostly inland floodingDighton: Low, mostly inland floodingTaunton: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Bedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingFairhaven: Very low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Low, mostly inland floodingWestport: Very low, mostly inland floodingTiverton: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleborough: Low, mostly inland floodingSwansea: Very low, mostly inland floodingFreetown: Low, mostly inland flooding FreetownBerkleyAcushnetFall RiverLakevilleSomerset
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Freetownmostly inland floodingLow
Berkleymostly inland floodingLow
Fall Rivermostly inland floodingLow
Lakevillemostly inland floodingLow
Acushnetmostly inland floodingVery low
Somersetmostly 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. Freetown covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Freetown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Freetown. 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 Freetown total about $2.3M 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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