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Natural hazards · Reading

Reading, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Reading comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 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 Reading?

10
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Reading to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes10%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Reading 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 17% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% 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 Reading flood?

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

13paid claims since 1978
$39Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 6 claims, $29K

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

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ReadingDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$307K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$187K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$156K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$41K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$21K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$105K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

322 households applied for aid $489K aid approved $50K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

194 households applied for aid $356K aid approved $164K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$144K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2004

Flooding

26 households applied for aid $29K aid approved
2003

Snow

$225K to the Town of Reading for repairs
2001

Snow

$78K to the Town of Reading for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Reading

Reading and the towns around it

North Reading: Low, mostly inland floodingWakefield: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingLynnfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddleton: Low, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Andover: Low, mostly inland floodingSaugus: High, mostly inland floodingMelrose: High, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingLynn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeabody: Low, mostly inland floodingBillerica: Very low, mostly inland floodingTewksbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland flooding ReadingNorth ReadingWakefieldWoburnLynnfieldWilmingtonStoneham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
North Readingmostly inland floodingLow
Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Wakefieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Stonehammostly inland floodingVery low
Lynnfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Woburnmostly inland floodingVery low
Readingmostly 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. Reading covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Reading’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Reading. 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 Reading total about $3.9M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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