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Natural hazards · Norwell

Norwell, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Norwell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Norwell?

18
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes12%Coastal flooding9%Earthquakes6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Norwell faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Coastal flooding

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Norwell flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978
$152Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $5K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 1 claim, $24K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $5K

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. Norwell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Plymouth County.
Disasters that hit Norwell

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorwellDeclared for Plymouth County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$150K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$32K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$89K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$32K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$8K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

95 households applied for aid $165K aid approved $4K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$4K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$56K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
2003

Snow

$113K to the Town of Norwell for repairs
Plymouth County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Norwell

Norwell and the towns around it

Hanover: Very low, mostly inland floodingMarshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPembroke: Very low, mostly inland floodingScituate: Low, mostly inland floodingHingham: Low, mostly inland floodingRockland: Very low, mostly inland floodingHanson: Very low, mostly inland floodingDuxbury: Low, mostly inland floodingHalifax: Low, mostly inland floodingKingston: Very low, mostly inland floodingPlympton: Low, mostly inland floodingCohasset: Low, mostly inland floodingHull: Very high, mostly coastal floodingWeymouth Town: Low, mostly inland floodingAbington: Low, mostly inland floodingNorwell: Very low, mostly inland flooding NorwellHanoverMarshfieldPembrokeScituateHinghamRockland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Marshfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Scituatemostly inland floodingLow
Hinghammostly inland floodingLow
Norwellmostly inland floodingVery low
Rocklandmostly inland floodingVery low
Hanovermostly inland floodingVery low
Pembrokemostly 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. Norwell covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Norwell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Norwell. 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 Norwell total about $2.9M 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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You’re in Norwell, MAPlymouth CountyView boundary

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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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