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Natural hazards · Hamilton

Hamilton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hamilton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2006. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Hamilton?

10
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hamilton to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding56%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes10%Drought9%Tornadoes5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Hamilton faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Drought

9% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Hamilton flood?

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

9paid claims since 2006
$65Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
20062026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $29K

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. Hamilton 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 Hamilton

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HamiltonDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$44K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$65K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$46K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$2K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $36K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$24K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$170K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$63K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2003

Snow

$68K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
2001

Snow

$28K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Hamilton

Hamilton and the towns around it

Ipswich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTopsfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingEssex: High, mostly coastal floodingWenham: Very low, mostly inland floodingManchester-by-the-Sea: Very low, mostly inland floodingRowley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGloucester: Low, mostly coastal floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingDanvers: Very low, mostly inland floodingBeverly: Very low, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Very low, mostly inland flooding HamiltonIpswichTopsfieldEssexWenhamManchester-by-the-Sea
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Essexmostly coastal floodingHigh
Ipswichmostly inland floodingModerate
Topsfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Manchester-by-the-Seamostly inland floodingVery low
Hamiltonmostly inland floodingVery low
Wenhammostly 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. Hamilton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hamilton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hamilton. 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 Hamilton total about $1.7M 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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