Natural hazards · Woburn

Woburn, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Woburn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 40 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 Woburn?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Woburn to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes12%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Woburn faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% 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 Woburn flood?

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

40paid claims since 1979

$871Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 11 claims, $40K
March 2010 Nor'easter: 8 claims, $696K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Middlesex County.

Disasters that hit Woburn

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WoburnDeclared for Middlesex County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$128K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$275K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$200K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$22K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$160K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

416 households applied for aid $600K aid approved $170K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $86K aid approved $55K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$228K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2004

Flooding

16 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2003

Snow

$306K to the City of Woburn for repairs

2001

Snow

$142K to the City of Woburn for repairs

Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Woburn

Woburn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Winchestermostly inland floodingModerate

Wilmingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Lexingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Stonehammostly inland floodingVery low

Burlingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Woburnmostly inland floodingVery low

Readingmostly 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. Woburn covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Woburn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Woburn. 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 Woburn total about $7.3M 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.