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Natural hazards · Westwood

Westwood, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Westwood?

8
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westwood to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes14%Earthquakes6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Westwood faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% 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 Westwood flood?

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

27paid claims since 1978
$157Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 4 claims, $5K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $7K
  • Hurricane Bob: 1 claim, $12K

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. Westwood 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 Westwood

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestwoodDeclared for Norfolk County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$275K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$203K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$230K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$144K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$51K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$94K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

209 households applied for aid $282K aid approved $63K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$166K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $796 aid approved
2003

Snow

$208K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
2001

Snow

$98K to the Town of Westwood for repairs
Norfolk County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Westwood

Westwood and the towns around it

Walpole: Very low, mostly inland floodingCanton: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingDedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingNeedham: Very low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorfolk: Very low, mostly inland floodingSharon: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedfield: Low, mostly inland floodingFoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingStoughton: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Very low, mostly inland floodingNewton: Low, mostly inland floodingWellesley: Low, mostly inland floodingSherborn: Very low, mostly inland floodingNatick: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestwood: Very low, mostly inland flooding WestwoodWalpoleCantonNorwoodDedhamNeedhamDover
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dovermostly inland floodingVery low
Needhammostly inland floodingVery low
Dedhammostly inland floodingVery low
Norwoodmostly inland floodingVery low
Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low
Walpolemostly inland floodingVery low
Westwoodmostly 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. Westwood covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Westwood. 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 Westwood total about $3.4M 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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You’re in Westwood, MANorfolk 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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