Natural hazards · Saugus

Saugus, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Saugus comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 281 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Saugus?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Saugus to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Coastal flooding14%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Saugus 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

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

14% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Saugus flood?

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

281paid claims since 1978

$3.3Mpaid to owners

46homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 28 claims, $72K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 25 claims, $130K
The “Halloween” storm: 9 claims, $26K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Saugus 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.

Disasters that hit Saugus

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SaugusDeclared for Essex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$317K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$192K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$187K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

237 households applied for aid $380K aid approved $124K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

525 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $294K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$156K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2004

Flooding

66 households applied for aid $134K aid approved

2003

Snow

$228K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

2001

Snow

$137K to the Town of Saugus for repairs

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

Around Saugus

Saugus and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Saugusmostly inland floodingHigh

Lynnmostly inland floodingModerate

Reveremostly inland floodingLow

Wakefieldmostly 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. Saugus covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Saugus’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Saugus. 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 Saugus total about $11.5M 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.