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Natural hazards · Lynn

Lynn, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lynn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 251 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 Lynn?

43
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lynn to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Hurricanes8%Tornadoes6%Earthquakes5%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Lynn faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce 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 Lynn flood?

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

251paid claims since 1978
$4.0Mpaid to owners
44homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 11 claims, $40K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 6 claims, $41K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 6 claims, $96K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Lynn 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.
Disasters that hit Lynn

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LynnDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$559K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$7K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$894K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$3.3M to the City of Lynn for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$19K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$305K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$3K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

280 households applied for aid $242K aid approved $40K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$11K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

616 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $105K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$436K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2004

Flooding

105 households applied for aid $147K aid approved
2003

Snow

$362K to the City of Lynn for repairs
2001

Snow

$268K to the City of Lynn for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Lynn

Lynn and the towns around it

Saugus: High, mostly inland floodingNahant: Low, mostly inland floodingLynnfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingSwampscott: Very low, mostly inland floodingPeabody: Low, mostly inland floodingRevere: Low, mostly inland floodingWakefield: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinthrop Town: Low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingSalem: Low, mostly inland floodingMarblehead: Very low, mostly inland floodingDanvers: Very low, mostly inland floodingChelsea: Low, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLynn: Moderate, mostly inland flooding LynnSaugusNahantLynnfieldSwampscottPeabodyRevere
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Saugusmostly inland floodingHigh
Lynnmostly inland floodingModerate
Reveremostly inland floodingLow
Peabodymostly inland floodingLow
Nahantmostly inland floodingLow
Lynnfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Swampscottmostly 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. Lynn covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lynn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lynn. 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 Lynn total about $15.8M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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