Natural hazards · Sherborn

Sherborn, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sherborn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1982. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sherborn?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sherborn to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Hurricanes12%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Sherborn faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% 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

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Sherborn flood?

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

5paid claims since 1982

$35Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $636
March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $10K

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. Sherborn 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 Sherborn

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SherbornDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$94K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$59K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$42K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$19K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

25 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $42K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$44K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2003

Snow

$64K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

2001

Snow

$40K to the Town of Sherborn for repairs

Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Sherborn

Sherborn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hollistonmostly inland floodingLow

Millismostly inland floodingLow

Medfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Dovermostly inland floodingVery low

Sherbornmostly inland floodingVery low

Ashlandmostly inland floodingVery low

Natickmostly inland floodingVery low

Framinghammostly 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. Sherborn covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sherborn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sherborn. 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 Sherborn total about $1.2M 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.