Natural hazards · Malden

Malden, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Malden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 57 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 Malden?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Malden to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes7%Earthquakes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Malden faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Malden flood?

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

57paid claims since 1979

$372Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 7 claims, $38K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $7K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $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. Malden 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 Malden

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MaldenDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$176K to the City of Malden for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$191K to the City of Malden for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$202K to the City of Malden for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$34K to the City of Malden for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$160K to the City of Malden for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

161 households applied for aid $175K aid approved $51K to the City of Malden for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

117 households applied for aid $295K aid approved $13K to the City of Malden for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$115K to the City of Malden for repairs

2004

Flooding

27 households applied for aid $47K aid approved

2003

Snow

$192K to the City of Malden for repairs

2001

Snow

$117K to the City of Malden for repairs

Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Malden

Malden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Melrosemostly inland floodingHigh

Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Maldenmostly inland floodingModerate

Reveremostly inland floodingLow

Everettmostly 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. Malden covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Malden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Malden. 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 Malden total about $11.1M 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.