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Natural hazards · Swampscott

Swampscott, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Swampscott comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 319 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 Swampscott?

13
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Swampscott to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes7%Tornadoes6%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Swampscott 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
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 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

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Swampscott flood?

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

319paid claims since 1978
$4.0Mpaid to owners
49homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • The “Halloween” storm: 57 claims, $1.4M
  • Not a named storm: 32 claims, $74K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 18 claims, $204K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Swampscott isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Essex County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Swampscott

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SwampscottDeclared for Essex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$69K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$723K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$91K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$52K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$44K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

98 households applied for aid $101K aid approved $21K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$20K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

88 households applied for aid $107K aid approved $77K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$52K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2004

Flooding

51 households applied for aid $75K aid approved
2003

Snow

$77K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
2001

Snow

$50K to the Town of Swampscott for repairs
Essex County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Swampscott

Swampscott and the towns around it

Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingLynn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMarblehead: Very low, mostly inland floodingBeverly: Very low, mostly inland floodingPeabody: Low, mostly inland floodingDanvers: Very low, mostly inland floodingSaugus: High, mostly inland floodingNahant: Low, mostly inland floodingLynnfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingRevere: Low, mostly inland floodingSwampscott: Very low, mostly inland flooding SwampscottSalemLynnMarblehead
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lynnmostly inland floodingModerate
Salemmostly inland floodingLow
Swampscottmostly inland floodingVery low
Marbleheadmostly 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. Swampscott covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Swampscott’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Swampscott. 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 Swampscott total about $2.5M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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