Natural hazards · Peabody

Peabody, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peabody comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 306 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peabody?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peabody to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes11%Earthquakes10%Tornadoes6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Peabody faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Peabody flood?

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

306paid claims since 1978

$8.0Mpaid to owners

46homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 36 claims, $772K
Not a named storm: 34 claims, $461K
Hurricane Bob: 2 claims, $12K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (17) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Peabody 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Peabody

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PeabodyDeclared for Essex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$318K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$83K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$433K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$328K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$14K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$233K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

551 households applied for aid $825K aid approved $400K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

991 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $520K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$292K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2004

Flooding

237 households applied for aid $315K aid approved

2003

Snow

$408K to the City of Peabody for repairs

2001

Snow

$255K to the City of Peabody for repairs

Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Peabody

Peabody and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lynnmostly inland floodingModerate

Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

Peabodymostly inland floodingLow

Salemmostly inland floodingLow

Danversmostly inland floodingVery low

Lynnfieldmostly 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. Peabody covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Peabody’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Peabody. 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 Peabody total about $10.0M 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.