5,456 flood insurance claims·$94.0M paid·11 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Essex County, Massachusetts. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Riverine and inland flooding from heavy rain events dominates Essex County, with standard floods and flash floods accounting for 146 of the 198 total flood events recorded over the last 30 years, alongside 3 recorded flood deaths. NOAA storm records illustrate these hazards, such as a cold front on August 13, 2025, that produced limited flash flooding in northeast Massachusetts, and a January 10, 2024, inland runner system that brought widespread river flooding with many rivers entering major flood stage, as well as minor to moderate coastal flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with the highest volume concentrated in high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 2,968 claims with an average payout of $24,103 and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED follows with 662 claims averaging $25,384 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches, while Zone V records 539 claims averaging $25,993 with an average recorded water depth of 8 inches.
Homeowners in high-risk riverine and coastal zones, specifically Zone A and Zone V properties, should pay the closest attention to flood risks given the high volume of historical claims and average water depths exceeding half a foot. Properties in moderate-risk unshaded Zone X areas also require attention, having accumulated hundreds of claims with substantial average payouts.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Essex County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
4,410 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1991, with 763 claims and $15.0M paid, the year of Hurricane Bob and Coastal Storm.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
98 NOAA storm reports from Essex County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Massachusetts flood stories →
40 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 11 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Mar 2, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
202 since 1996: 55 flash floods, 91 river or area floods and 52 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | May 22, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 4, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2023 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 23, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Coastal Flood · May 22, 2025. A late season nor'easter brough gusty winds with sporadic damage to southern New England along with rainfall amounts of widespread 2-3 inches and a swath of 5-7 inches over southeast MA.
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2025. A cold front swept through southern New England in the afternoon bringing a line of storms, a few of which were severe. These caused sporadic wind damage and some limited flash flooding in northeast MA.
Coastal Flood · Jan 10, 2024. A negatively tilted mid level trough swung through New England while at the surface a low pressure center passed directly over southern New England. This inland runner brought warm air so that all precipitation fell as rain, along with strong winds. There was a good deal of tree damage from the winds and widespread river flooding with many rivers going into major flood stage. Coastal flooding was also a problem. M…
Coastal Flood · Apr 4, 2024. A strong Nor'easter passed offshore of southern New England bringing widespread heavy rainfall, high elevation snow and sleet, as well as strong winds to the region. There was minor flooding on some rivers as well as minor to moderate coastal flooding along the east coast of MA. This was a late season snow storm with very elevation dependent snowfall totals from 0 to over 8 inches. Wind damage was sporadic and mos…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Essex County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.