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Natural hazards · Shirley

Shirley, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shirley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 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 Shirley?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shirley to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes11%Earthquakes5%Cold waves5%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Shirley 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
Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Shirley flood?

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

9paid claims since 1978
$165Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $124K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 2 claims, $22K

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. Shirley 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 Shirley

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShirleyDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$20K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$31K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$7K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

28 households applied for aid $73K aid approved $228K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$71K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$34K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved
2003

Snow

$35K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
2001

Snow

$24K to the Town of Shirley for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Shirley

Shirley and the towns around it

Groton: Very low, mostly inland floodingAyer: Very low, mostly inland floodingHarvard: Very low, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingPepperell: Low, mostly inland floodingDunstable: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestford: Very low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLittleton: Very low, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingBoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingBolton: Low, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLeominster: Low, mostly inland floodingTownsend: Low, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingShirley: Very low, mostly inland flooding ShirleyGrotonAyerHarvardLunenburg
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Grotonmostly inland floodingVery low
Lunenburgmostly inland floodingVery low
Shirleymostly inland floodingVery low
Harvardmostly inland floodingVery low
Ayermostly 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. Shirley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shirley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Shirley. 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 Shirley 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.

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You’re in Shirley, MAMiddlesex CountyView boundary

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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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