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Natural hazards · Merrimac

Merrimac, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Merrimac comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2006. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Merrimac?

23
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Merrimac to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding56%Drought12%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes7%Tornadoes5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Merrimac faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

12% of expected damage
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Merrimac flood?

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

5paid claims since 2006
$16Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20062026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $699
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Merrimac 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 Merrimac

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MerrimacDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$86K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$31K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$20K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

46 households applied for aid $78K aid approved $21K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$76K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

33 households applied for aid $53K aid approved $100K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$17K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2004

Flooding

3 households applied for aid $600 aid approved
2003

Snow

$26K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
2001

Snow

$14K to the Town of Merrimac for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Merrimac

Merrimac and the towns around it

West Newbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Very low, mostly inland floodingAmesbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburyport: Low, mostly inland floodingNewbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGroveland: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Hampton: Low, mostly inland floodingKingston: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Kingston: Low, mostly inland floodingPlaistow: Low, mostly inland floodingSalisbury: Very high, mostly coastal floodingMethuen: Low, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingAtkinson: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrimac: Low, mostly inland flooding MerrimacWest NewburyNewtonAmesburyHaverhill
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Haverhillmostly inland floodingModerate
Amesburymostly inland floodingModerate
West Newburymostly inland floodingModerate
Merrimacmostly inland floodingLow
Newtonmostly 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. Merrimac covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Merrimac’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Merrimac. 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 Merrimac total about $1.5M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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