Natural hazards · Stoneham

Stoneham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Stoneham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2010. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Stoneham?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes10%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Stoneham faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% 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 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Stoneham flood?

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

3paid claims since 2010

$8Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20102026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Stoneham 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 Stoneham

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into StonehamDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$111K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$127K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$120K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$10K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$79K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

231 households applied for aid $279K aid approved $64K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$30K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

99 households applied for aid $185K aid approved $24K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$90K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2004

Flooding

69 households applied for aid $84K aid approved

2003

Snow

$111K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

2001

Snow

$61K to the Town of Stoneham for repairs

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

Around Stoneham

Stoneham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Melrosemostly inland floodingHigh

Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate

Wakefieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Stonehammostly inland floodingVery low

Woburnmostly inland floodingVery low

Readingmostly 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. Stoneham covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Stoneham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Stoneham. 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 Stoneham total about $3.6M 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.