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Natural hazards · Littleton

Littleton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Littleton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1982. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Littleton?

11
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Littleton to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes8%Drought6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Littleton 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 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 7 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 Littleton flood?

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

12paid claims since 1982
$101Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $21K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $7K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 1 claim, $50K

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. Littleton 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 Littleton

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LittletonDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$63K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$103K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$62K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$47K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$11K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $103K aid approved $35K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$74K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$46K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved
2003

Snow

$69K to the Town of Littleton for repairs
2001

Snow

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

Littleton and the towns around it

Ayer: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestford: Very low, mostly inland floodingActon: Very low, mostly inland floodingGroton: Very low, mostly inland floodingHarvard: Very low, mostly inland floodingShirley: Very low, mostly inland floodingStow: Low, mostly inland floodingChelmsford: Low, mostly inland floodingCarlisle: Very low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingPepperell: Low, mostly inland floodingDunstable: Very low, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingBolton: Low, mostly inland floodingLittleton: Very low, mostly inland flooding LittletonAyerBoxboroughWestfordActonGrotonHarvard
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Actonmostly inland floodingVery low
Grotonmostly inland floodingVery low
Westfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Harvardmostly inland floodingVery low
Littletonmostly inland floodingVery low
Boxboroughmostly inland floodingVery low
Ayermostly 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. Littleton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Littleton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Littleton. 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 Littleton total about $2.3M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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