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Natural hazards · Waltham

Waltham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waltham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 114 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Waltham?

44
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waltham to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes8%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Waltham faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

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 Waltham flood?

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

114paid claims since 1978
$1.6Mpaid to owners
14homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 26 claims, $334K
  • Not a named storm: 16 claims, $203K
  • Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WalthamDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$659K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$787K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$382K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$28K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$287K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

495 households applied for aid $675K aid approved $183K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $13K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$454K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2004

Flooding

7 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2003

Snow

$658K to the City of Waltham for repairs
2001

Snow

$397K to the City of Waltham for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Waltham

Waltham and the towns around it

Weston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingWatertown: Low, mostly inland floodingLexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingNatick: Very low, mostly inland floodingWayland: Very low, mostly inland floodingWellesley: Low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingNeedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBrookline: Very low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WalthamWestonBelmontNewtonLincolnWatertownLexington
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Walthammostly inland floodingModerate
Belmontmostly inland floodingLow
Watertownmostly inland floodingLow
Newtonmostly inland floodingLow
Westonmostly inland floodingVery low
Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Lincolnmostly 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. Waltham covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waltham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Waltham. 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 Waltham total about $16.9M 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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