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Natural hazards · Holliston

Holliston, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Holliston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Holliston?

22
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Holliston to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Hurricanes10%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Holliston faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Holliston flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978
$122Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $35K
  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $15K
  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $9K

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. Holliston 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 Holliston

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HollistonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$56K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$77K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$65K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$20K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$60K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

128 households applied for aid $172K aid approved $24K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$15K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $15K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$67K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved
2003

Snow

$153K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
2001

Snow

$86K to the Town of Holliston for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Holliston

Holliston and the towns around it

Sherborn: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedway: Low, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: Very low, mostly inland floodingMilford: Low, mostly inland floodingMillis: Low, mostly inland floodingNatick: Very low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedfield: Low, mostly inland floodingAshland: Very low, mostly inland floodingFramingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Town: Very low, mostly inland floodingBellingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorfolk: Very low, mostly inland floodingSouthborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingUpton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingHopedale: Low, mostly inland floodingHolliston: Low, mostly inland flooding HollistonSherbornMedwayHopkintonMilfordMillis
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Medwaymostly inland floodingLow
Milfordmostly inland floodingLow
Hollistonmostly inland floodingLow
Millismostly inland floodingLow
Sherbornmostly inland floodingVery low
Hopkintonmostly 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. Holliston covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Holliston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Holliston. 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 Holliston total about $3.5M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Holliston, MAMiddlesex CountyView boundary

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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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