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Natural hazards · Taunton

Taunton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Taunton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Taunton?

31
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Taunton to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Taunton faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% 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 Taunton flood?

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

67paid claims since 1979
$1.2Mpaid to owners
12homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 31 claims, $547K
  • Not a named storm: 4 claims, $52K
  • December Storm - Nor'easter: 2 claims, $50K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TauntonDeclared for Bristol County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$418K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$46K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$408K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$329K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$65K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$87K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2010

Hurricane Earl

$2K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

727 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $104K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

87 households applied for aid $81K aid approved $232K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$232K to the City of Taunton for repairs
2003

Snow

$228K to the City of Taunton for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Taunton

Taunton and the towns around it

Raynham: Low, mostly inland floodingDighton: Low, mostly inland floodingBerkley: Low, mostly inland floodingMiddleborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLakeville: Low, mostly inland floodingNorton: Low, mostly inland floodingRehoboth: Low, mostly inland floodingBridgewater Town: Low, mostly inland floodingEaston: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerset: Very low, mostly inland floodingSwansea: Very low, mostly inland floodingFreetown: Low, mostly inland floodingCarver: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRochester: Low, mostly inland floodingPlympton: Low, mostly inland floodingHalifax: Low, mostly inland floodingWareham: Low, mostly inland floodingMansfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingTaunton: Low, mostly inland flooding TauntonRaynhamDightonBerkleyMiddleboroughLakevilleNortonRehoboth
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Raynhammostly inland floodingLow
Tauntonmostly inland floodingLow
Rehobothmostly inland floodingLow
Middleboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Nortonmostly inland floodingLow
Berkleymostly inland floodingLow
Lakevillemostly inland floodingLow
Dightonmostly inland floodingLow
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. Taunton covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Taunton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Taunton. 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 Taunton total about $11.4M 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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