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Natural hazards · Gloucester

Gloucester, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gloucester comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 322 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gloucester?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gloucester to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding40%Inland flooding32%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes8%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Gloucester faces

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

Coastal flooding

40% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Gloucester flood?

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

322paid claims since 1978
$8.9Mpaid to owners
40homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 66 claims, $2.9M
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 16 claims, $361K
  • Not a named storm: 13 claims, $27K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GloucesterDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$254K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$983K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$357K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$1.2M to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$15K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$148K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $15K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$82K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

238 households applied for aid $340K aid approved $297K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$206K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2004

Flooding

15 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2003

Snow

$236K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
2001

Snow

$109K to the City of Gloucester for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Gloucester

Gloucester and the towns around it

Manchester-by-the-Sea: Very low, mostly inland floodingRockport: Low, mostly coastal floodingEssex: High, mostly coastal floodingIpswich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBeverly: Very low, mostly inland floodingWenham: Very low, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Very low, mostly inland floodingRowley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTopsfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingGloucester: Low, mostly coastal flooding GloucesterManchester-by-the-SeaRockportEssexIpswich
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Essexmostly coastal floodingHigh
Ipswichmostly inland floodingModerate
Gloucestermostly coastal floodingLow
Rockportmostly coastal floodingLow
Manchester-by-the-Seamostly 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. Gloucester covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gloucester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gloucester. 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 Gloucester total about $7.0M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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