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Natural hazards · Lexington

Lexington, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lexington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lexington?

17
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lexington to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes7%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Lexington faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Lexington flood?

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

32paid claims since 1979
$184Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 13 claims, $131K
  • Not a named storm: 7 claims, $6K

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. Lexington 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 Lexington

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LexingtonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$237K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$258K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$207K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$232K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$164K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

309 households applied for aid $509K aid approved $222K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $57K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$149K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2003

Snow

$235K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
2001

Snow

$135K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Lexington

Lexington and the towns around it

Burlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingWeston: Very low, mostly inland floodingWayland: Very low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland flooding LexingtonBurlingtonWinchesterWoburnArlingtonLincolnBedfordWalthamBelmont
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Walthammostly inland floodingModerate
Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate
Belmontmostly inland floodingLow
Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Burlingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Woburnmostly inland floodingVery low
Lincolnmostly 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. Lexington covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lexington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lexington. 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 Lexington total about $7.8M 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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You’re in Lexington, 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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