Natural hazards · Needham

Needham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Needham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Needham?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Needham to be higher than in 18% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Needham faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Needham flood?

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

34paid claims since 1978

$467Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 10 claims, $23K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $14K

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. Needham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Norfolk County.

Disasters that hit Needham

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NeedhamDeclared for Norfolk County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$277K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$240K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$32K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$405K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$280K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$63K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$146K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

205 households applied for aid $262K aid approved $200K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$149K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $261 aid approved

2003

Snow

$248K to the Town of Needham for repairs

2001

Snow

$119K to the Town of Needham for repairs

Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Needham

Needham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Newtonmostly inland floodingLow

Wellesleymostly inland floodingLow

Dovermostly inland floodingVery low

Needhammostly inland floodingVery low

Dedhammostly inland floodingVery low

Bostonmostly inland floodingVery low

Westwoodmostly 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. Needham covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Needham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Needham. 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 Needham total about $8.4M 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.