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Natural hazards · Norwood

Norwood, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Norwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1979. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Norwood?

15
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Norwood to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Norwood 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 30% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% 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 Norwood flood?

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

23paid claims since 1979
$812Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 9 claims, $510K
  • Not a named storm: 5 claims, $6K

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. Norwood 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 Norwood

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorwoodDeclared for Norfolk County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$311K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$195K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$94K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$294K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$312K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$92K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$172K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

257 households applied for aid $247K aid approved $84K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$191K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2003

Snow

$251K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
2001

Snow

$133K to the Town of Norwood for repairs
Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Norwood

Norwood and the towns around it

Canton: Very low, mostly inland floodingSharon: Very low, mostly inland floodingWalpole: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingDedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingStoughton: Very low, mostly inland floodingFoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorfolk: Very low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedfield: Low, mostly inland floodingNeedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorwood: Very low, mostly inland flooding NorwoodCantonSharonWalpoleWestwood
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Norwoodmostly inland floodingVery low
Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low
Walpolemostly inland floodingVery low
Sharonmostly 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. Norwood covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Norwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Norwood. 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 Norwood total about $5.8M 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.

The door’s open

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You’re in Norwood, MANorfolk 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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