Natural hazards · Provincetown

Provincetown, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Provincetown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 214 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Provincetown?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Provincetown to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding38%Hurricanes30%Coastal flooding22%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Provincetown faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Coastal flooding

22% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Provincetown flood?

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

214paid claims since 1978
$8.5Mpaid to owners
18homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 11 claims, $211K
  • Not a named storm: 6 claims, $11K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 5 claims, $51K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Provincetown is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Barnstable County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters that hit Provincetown

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ProvincetownDeclared for Barnstable County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$276K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$3.3M to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$11K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$18K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$7K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$9K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$60K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
2003

Snow

$33K to the Town of Provincetown for repairs
Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
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. Provincetown covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Provincetown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Provincetown. 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 Provincetown total about $1.8M 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

Where to, neighbor?

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01