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Natural hazards · Marlborough

Marlborough, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Marlborough comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Marlborough?

3
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Marlborough to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding54%Hurricanes15%Earthquakes8%Cold waves5%Tornadoes5%Ice storms5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Marlborough faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

15% 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 51% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Ice storms

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Marlborough flood?

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

11paid claims since 1979
$93Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $10K
  • Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $17K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $939

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. Marlborough 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Marlborough

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarlboroughDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$234K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$472K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$71K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$187K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

74 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $111K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$412K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$134K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2004

Flooding

3 households applied for aid $771 aid approved
2003

Snow

$237K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
2001

Snow

$67K to the City of Marlborough for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Marlborough

Marlborough and the towns around it

Northborough: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Low, mostly inland floodingHudson: Very low, mostly inland floodingFramingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingSudbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: Very low, mostly inland floodingAshland: Very low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Very low, mostly hurricanesBolton: Low, mostly inland floodingStow: Low, mostly inland floodingWayland: Very low, mostly inland floodingNatick: Very low, mostly inland floodingSherborn: Very low, mostly inland floodingMaynard: Low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingMarlborough: Very low, mostly inland flooding MarlboroughNorthboroughSouthboroughBerlinHudsonFraminghamSudbury
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Northboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Berlinmostly inland floodingLow
Hudsonmostly inland floodingVery low
Southboroughmostly inland floodingVery low
Framinghammostly inland floodingVery low
Sudburymostly inland floodingVery low
Marlboroughmostly 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. Marlborough covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Marlborough’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Marlborough. 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 Marlborough total about $5.2M 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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