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Natural hazards · Lincoln

Lincoln, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lincoln comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lincoln?

8
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lincoln to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes6%Drought5%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Lincoln faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Drought

5% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Lincoln flood?

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

9paid claims since 1979
$44Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $24K

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. Lincoln 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 Lincoln

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LincolnDeclared for Middlesex County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$104K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$54K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$30K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$15K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$43K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

30 households applied for aid $77K aid approved $55K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$53K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2003

Snow

$75K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
2001

Snow

$32K to the Town of Lincoln for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Lincoln

Lincoln and the towns around it

Concord: Very low, mostly inland floodingWeston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWayland: Very low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland floodingActon: Very low, mostly inland floodingSudbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingNatick: Very low, mostly inland floodingWellesley: Low, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingFramingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland flooding LincolnConcordWestonBedfordWalthamLexingtonWayland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Walthammostly inland floodingModerate
Westonmostly inland floodingVery low
Concordmostly inland floodingVery low
Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Bedfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Lincolnmostly inland floodingVery low
Waylandmostly 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. Lincoln covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lincoln’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lincoln. 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 Lincoln total about $1.3M 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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You’re in Lincoln, 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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