Natural hazards · Natick

Natick, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Natick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 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 Natick?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Natick to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes11%Earthquakes9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Natick faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Natick flood?

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

36paid claims since 1979

$311Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 11 claims, $164K
Not a named storm: 3 claims, $1K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $24K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Natick 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 Natick

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NatickDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$167K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$176K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$173K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$72K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$98K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$117K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

217 households applied for aid $291K aid approved $102K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$132K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2003

Snow

$184K to the Town of Natick for repairs

2001

Snow

$56K to the Town of Natick for repairs

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

Around Natick

Natick and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wellesleymostly inland floodingLow

Dovermostly inland floodingVery low

Westonmostly inland floodingVery low

Sherbornmostly inland floodingVery low

Natickmostly inland floodingVery low

Framinghammostly inland floodingVery low

Waylandmostly 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. Natick covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Natick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Natick. 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 Natick total about $6.8M 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.