Natural hazards · Wellesley

Wellesley, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wellesley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wellesley?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wellesley to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Wellesley faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% 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 Wellesley flood?

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

36paid claims since 1979

$205Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March 2010 Nor'easter: 11 claims, $78K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $22K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $10K

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. Wellesley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Norfolk County.

Disasters that hit Wellesley

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WellesleyDeclared for Norfolk County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$231K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$194K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$139K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$158K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$96K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$88K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

140 households applied for aid $160K aid approved $108K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$130K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2003

Snow

$172K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

2001

Snow

$70K to the Town of Wellesley for repairs

Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Wellesley

Wellesley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Newtonmostly inland floodingLow

Wellesleymostly inland floodingLow

Dovermostly inland floodingVery low

Westonmostly inland floodingVery low

Needhammostly inland floodingVery low

Natickmostly 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. Wellesley covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wellesley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wellesley. 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 Wellesley total about $8.6M 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.