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Natural hazards · Medford

Medford, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Medford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 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 Medford?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Medford to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Hurricanes6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Medford faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Medford flood?

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

32paid claims since 1978
$196Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 5 claims, $45K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $9K
  • Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $196

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. Medford 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 Medford

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MedfordDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$300K to the City of Medford for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$431K to the City of Medford for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$185K to the City of Medford for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$12K to the City of Medford for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$114K to the City of Medford for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

416 households applied for aid $553K aid approved
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $105K aid approved $7K to the City of Medford for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$123K to the City of Medford for repairs
2004

Flooding

49 households applied for aid $76K aid approved
2003

Snow

$202K to the City of Medford for repairs
2001

Snow

$115K to the City of Medford for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Medford

Medford and the towns around it

Somerville: Low, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingMelrose: High, mostly inland floodingRevere: Low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingChelsea: Low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingWakefield: Very low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland flooding MedfordSomervilleMaldenArlingtonEverettWinchesterStoneham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Maldenmostly inland floodingModerate
Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate
Somervillemostly inland floodingLow
Everettmostly inland floodingLow
Stonehammostly 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. Medford covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Medford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Medford. 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 Medford total about $13.1M 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.

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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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