Natural hazards · Wellfleet

Wellfleet, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wellfleet comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wellfleet?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wellfleet to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and inland flooding.

Coastal flooding44%Inland flooding30%Hurricanes23%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Wellfleet faces

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

Coastal flooding

44% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Wellfleet flood?

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

29paid claims since 1978

$581Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Wellfleet is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Barnstable County.

Disasters that hit Wellfleet

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WellfleetDeclared for Barnstable County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$15K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$42K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$113K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$19K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$25K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2010

Hurricane Earl

$5K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$53K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

2003

Snow

$25K to the Town of Wellfleet for repairs

Barnstable County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Wellfleet

Wellfleet and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wellfleetmostly coastal floodingModerate

Truromostly inland floodingLow

Easthammostly 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. Wellfleet covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wellfleet’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wellfleet. 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 Wellfleet total about $2.2M 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.