Natural hazards · Williamsburg

Williamsburg, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Williamsburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1999. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Williamsburg?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Williamsburg to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes8%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Williamsburg faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Williamsburg flood?

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

7paid claims since 1999

$58Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $42K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $9K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Williamsburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hampshire County.

Disasters that hit Williamsburg

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WilliamsburgDeclared for Hampshire County only

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$22K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$105K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$11K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$56K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$45K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$12K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2003

Snow

$15K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

2001

Snow

$7K to the Town of Williamsburg for repairs

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

Around Williamsburg

Williamsburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Williamsburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Whatelymostly inland floodingModerate

Goshenmostly inland floodingModerate

Chesterfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Hatfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Williamsburg is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Williamsburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Williamsburg. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.