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Natural hazards · Groton

Groton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Groton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2010. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Groton?

19
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes11%Drought6%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Groton faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Groton flood?

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

1paid claims since 2010
$12Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20102026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $12K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Groton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.
Disasters that hit Groton

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GrotonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$57K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$71K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$42K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$243K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$20K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$39K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

38 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $97K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$270K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $568 aid approved $4K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$59K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2003

Snow

$63K to the Town of Groton for repairs
2001

Snow

$25K to the Town of Groton for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Groton

Groton and the towns around it

Shirley: Very low, mostly inland floodingPepperell: Low, mostly inland floodingAyer: Very low, mostly inland floodingDunstable: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestford: Very low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLittleton: Very low, mostly inland floodingHarvard: Very low, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingHollis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTownsend: Low, mostly inland floodingNashua: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChelmsford: Low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland floodingActon: Very low, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLowell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingGroton: Very low, mostly inland flooding GrotonShirleyPepperellAyerDunstableWestfordTyngsboroughLittleton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Tyngsboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Pepperellmostly inland floodingLow
Grotonmostly inland floodingVery low
Dunstablemostly inland floodingVery low
Westfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Shirleymostly inland floodingVery low
Littletonmostly inland floodingVery low
Ayermostly 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. Groton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Groton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Groton. 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 Groton total about $2.9M 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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