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Natural hazards · Swansea

Swansea, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Swansea comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 100 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Swansea?

10
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Swansea to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Hurricanes15%Earthquakes5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Swansea faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Swansea flood?

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

100paid claims since 1978
$737Kpaid to owners
10homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Bob: 31 claims, $310K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 26 claims, $145K
  • Hurricane Sandy: 9 claims, $147K

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. Swansea isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bristol County.
Disasters that hit Swansea

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SwanseaDeclared for Bristol County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $11K aid approved
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$41K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$74K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$105K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$38K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$92K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

284 households applied for aid $512K aid approved $606K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$54K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
2003

Snow

$59K to the Town of Swansea for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Swansea

Swansea and the towns around it

Somerset: Very low, mostly inland floodingWarren: Very low, mostly inland floodingDighton: Low, mostly inland floodingRehoboth: Low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingFall River: Low, mostly inland floodingFreetown: Low, mostly inland floodingBerkley: Low, mostly inland floodingBristol: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Low, mostly inland floodingTaunton: Low, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingNorton: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingPawtucket: Low, mostly inland floodingSwansea: Very low, mostly inland flooding SwanseaSomersetWarrenDightonRehobothSeekonk
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rehobothmostly inland floodingLow
Dightonmostly inland floodingLow
Warrenmostly inland floodingVery low
Seekonkmostly inland floodingVery low
Swanseamostly inland floodingVery low
Somersetmostly 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. Swansea covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Swansea’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Swansea. 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 Swansea total about $2.0M 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 Swansea, MABristol 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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