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Natural hazards · Boston

Boston, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Boston?

50
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Boston to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Cold waves11%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Boston 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
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Boston flood?

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

13paid claims since 1978
$178Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Late summer storms: 4 claims, $33K

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. Boston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Erie County.
Disasters that hit Boston

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BostonDeclared for Erie County only
2014

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$140K to the Town of Boston for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $29K to the Town of Boston for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$83K to the Town of Boston for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storm

$79K to the Town of Boston for repairs
2000

Snow

$12K to the Town of Boston for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$216K to the Town of Boston for repairs
1999

Snow

$34K to the Town of Boston for repairs
Erie County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.
Around Boston

Boston and the towns around it

Orchard Park: Low, mostly inland floodingColden: High, mostly inland floodingEden: Very low, mostly inland floodingHamburg: Low, mostly inland floodingConcord: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Collins: Very low, mostly inland floodingAurora: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Seneca: High, mostly inland floodingHolland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSardinia: Low, mostly inland floodingEvans: Low, mostly inland floodingBrant: Very low, mostly inland floodingLackawanna: High, mostly inland floodingBlasdell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAshford: High, mostly inland floodingEast Otto: High, mostly inland floodingCollins: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Collins: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BostonOrchard ParkColdenEdenHamburgConcordNorth Collins
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Coldenmostly inland floodingHigh
Bostonmostly inland floodingModerate
Hamburgmostly inland floodingLow
Concordmostly inland floodingLow
Orchard Parkmostly inland floodingLow
Edenmostly inland floodingVery low
North Collinsmostly 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. Boston covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Boston. 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 Boston total about $2.3M 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.

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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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