Natural hazards · Sharon

Sharon, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sharon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 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 Sharon?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sharon to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Hurricanes15%Earthquakes6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Sharon faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sharon flood?

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

26paid claims since 1978

$114Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 5 claims, $31K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $5K

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. Sharon 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 Sharon

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SharonDeclared for Norfolk County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$111K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$82K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$75K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$153K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$93K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$38K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$76K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

339 households applied for aid $516K aid approved $46K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$80K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2003

Snow

$114K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

2001

Snow

$35K to the Town of Sharon for repairs

Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Sharon

Sharon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Norwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low

Walpolemostly inland floodingVery low

Sharonmostly inland floodingVery low

Stoughtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Foxboroughmostly 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. Sharon covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sharon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sharon. 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 Sharon total about $2.9M 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.