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Natural hazards · Newbury

Newbury, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Newbury comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 199 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 Newbury?

48
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Newbury to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding47%Coastal flooding28%Hurricanes7%Drought6%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Newbury faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

28% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Newbury flood?

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

199paid claims since 1978
$4.0Mpaid to owners
19homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 33 claims, $250K
  • Not a named storm: 13 claims, $25K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 6 claims, $37K

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. Newbury 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 Newbury

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NewburyDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$38K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$9K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $56K aid approved $11K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$70K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

46 households applied for aid $68K aid approved $238K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$40K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2003

Snow

$63K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
2001

Snow

$30K to the Town of Newbury for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Newbury

Newbury and the towns around it

Rowley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Newbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewburyport: Low, mostly inland floodingGeorgetown: Very low, mostly inland floodingGroveland: Low, mostly inland floodingIpswich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBoxford: Very low, mostly inland floodingMerrimac: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAmesbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalisbury: Very high, mostly coastal floodingNewbury: Moderate, mostly inland flooding NewburyRowleyWest NewburyNewburyportGeorgetownGroveland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Newburymostly inland floodingModerate
West Newburymostly inland floodingModerate
Rowleymostly inland floodingModerate
Newburyportmostly inland floodingLow
Grovelandmostly inland floodingLow
Georgetownmostly 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. Newbury covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Newbury’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Newbury. 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 Newbury total about $2.7M 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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