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Natural hazards · Somerville

Somerville, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Somerville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Somerville?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Somerville to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes8%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Somerville 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
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Somerville flood?

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

26paid claims since 1978
$917Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 6 claims, $208K
  • The “Halloween” storm: 1 claim, $545
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Somerville 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 Somerville

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SomervilleDeclared for Middlesex County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$397K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$264K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$68K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$161K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

94 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $61K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $108K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$174K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2003

Snow

$174K to the City of Somerville for repairs
2001

Snow

$67K to the City of Somerville for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Somerville

Somerville and the towns around it

Cambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingMilton: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookline: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinthrop Town: Low, mostly inland floodingDedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingRevere: Low, mostly inland floodingQuincy: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingChelsea: Low, mostly inland floodingHull: Very high, mostly coastal floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland flooding SomervilleCambridgeMedfordArlingtonBostonEverett
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Somervillemostly inland floodingLow
Everettmostly inland floodingLow
Cambridgemostly inland floodingLow
Bostonmostly 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. Somerville covers 25 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Somerville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Somerville. 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 Somerville total about $11.7M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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