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Natural hazards · Marblehead

Marblehead, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Marblehead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 179 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Marblehead?

7
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Marblehead to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding48%Coastal flooding16%Hurricanes14%Earthquakes8%Tornadoes6%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Marblehead faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

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

Lower here

HailIce 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 Marblehead flood?

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

179paid claims since 1978
$3.2Mpaid to owners
20homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 42 claims, $958K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 21 claims, $335K
  • Not a named storm: 20 claims, $59K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Marblehead 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 Marblehead

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarbleheadDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$58K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$870K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$124K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$117K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$33K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $51K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$68K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

101 households applied for aid $106K aid approved $69K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$53K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2004

Flooding

62 households applied for aid $88K aid approved
2003

Snow

$63K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
2001

Snow

$40K to the Town of Marblehead for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Marblehead

Marblehead and the towns around it

Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingSwampscott: Very low, mostly inland floodingBeverly: Very low, mostly inland floodingPeabody: Low, mostly inland floodingDanvers: Very low, mostly inland floodingLynn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMarblehead: Very low, mostly inland flooding MarbleheadSalemSwampscott
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Salemmostly inland floodingLow
Swampscottmostly inland floodingVery low
Marbleheadmostly 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. Marblehead covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Marblehead’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Marblehead. 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 Marblehead total about $4.0M 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.

The door’s open

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You’re in Marblehead, MAEssex 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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