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Natural hazards · Winchester

Winchester, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 145 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Winchester?

43
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winchester to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Hurricanes7%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Winchester faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Winchester flood?

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

145paid claims since 1979
$4.0Mpaid to owners
29homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 45 claims, $2.6M
  • Not a named storm: 10 claims, $33K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $16K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Winchester is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.
Disasters that hit Winchester

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinchesterDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$72K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$85K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$80K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$18K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$20K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$57K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

199 households applied for aid $268K aid approved $48K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

57 households applied for aid $172K aid approved $38K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$82K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2004

Flooding

35 households applied for aid $35K aid approved
2003

Snow

$123K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
2001

Snow

$36K to the Town of Winchester for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Winchester

Winchester and the towns around it

Lexington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingStoneham: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Very low, mostly inland floodingBedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaltham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBelmont: Low, mostly inland floodingReading: Very low, mostly inland floodingWilmington: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerville: Low, mostly inland floodingMalden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEverett: Low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWakefield: Very low, mostly inland floodingMelrose: High, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WinchesterLexingtonWoburnMedfordArlingtonStoneham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Medfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate
Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low
Stonehammostly inland floodingVery low
Woburnmostly 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. Winchester covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Winchester. 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 Winchester total about $7.6M 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.

The coffee’s on

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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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