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Natural hazards · Lawrence

Lawrence, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawrence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 262 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lawrence?

80
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawrence to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Earthquakes7%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Lawrence faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lawrence flood?

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

262paid claims since 1978
$12.1Mpaid to owners
28homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 19 claims, $565K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 13 claims, $2.2M
  • December Nor'easter: 2 claims, $133K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Lawrence 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Lawrence

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawrenceDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$360K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$339K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$240K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$4K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$142K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

89 households applied for aid $109K aid approved $131K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$114K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

556 households applied for aid $724K aid approved $525K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$168K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2004

Flooding

13 households applied for aid $16K aid approved
2003

Snow

$249K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
2001

Snow

$145K to the City of Lawrence for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Lawrence

Lawrence and the towns around it

North Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalem: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDracut: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Very high, mostly inland flooding LawrenceNorth AndoverMethuenAndover
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lawrencemostly inland floodingVery high
Andovermostly inland floodingLow
Methuenmostly inland floodingLow
North Andovermostly inland floodingLow
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. Lawrence covers 18 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lawrence’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lawrence. 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 Lawrence total about $24.3M 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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