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Natural hazards · Haverhill

Haverhill, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Haverhill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 79 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 Haverhill?

53
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Haverhill to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Earthquakes7%Hurricanes5%Tornadoes5%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Haverhill faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce 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 Haverhill flood?

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

79paid claims since 1978
$2.2Mpaid to owners
14homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $308K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $27K
  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $415

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
🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Haverhill is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Essex County.
Disasters that hit Haverhill

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HaverhillDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$215K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$302K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$340K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$26K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$233K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

174 households applied for aid $224K aid approved $169K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$206K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$22K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

299 households applied for aid $417K aid approved $1.0M to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$162K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2004

Flooding

53 households applied for aid $79K aid approved
2003

Snow

$306K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
2001

Snow

$212K to the City of Haverhill for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Haverhill

Haverhill and the towns around it

Groveland: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Newbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMerrimac: Low, mostly inland floodingAtkinson: Low, mostly inland floodingPlaistow: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingGeorgetown: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburyport: Low, mostly inland floodingAmesbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Very high, mostly inland floodingSalem: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland floodingTopsfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingRowley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIpswich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Very low, mostly inland floodingHampstead: Very low, mostly inland floodingDerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKingston: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland flooding HaverhillGrovelandWest NewburyMethuenBoxfordMerrimacAtkinsonPlaistowNorth Andover
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Haverhillmostly inland floodingModerate
West Newburymostly inland floodingModerate
Methuenmostly inland floodingLow
North Andovermostly inland floodingLow
Grovelandmostly inland floodingLow
Plaistowmostly inland floodingLow
Merrimacmostly inland floodingLow
Atkinsonmostly inland floodingLow
Boxfordmostly 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. Haverhill covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Haverhill’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Haverhill. 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 Haverhill total about $16.8M 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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