Enter any address in Nantucket County, Massachusetts to see its FEMA flood zone
Coastal flooding is the dominant flood character in Nantucket County. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 28 coastal flood events, alongside 8 general flood events and 7 tropical storms. For example, a coastal flood event occurred on January 29, 2022, associated with a powerful winter storm bringing blizzard conditions and hurricane-force winds. Another coastal flood event happened on December 23, 2022, driven by a rapidly deepening low-pressure system that produced damaging winds and minor to moderate coastal flooding.
NFIP claims data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED have experienced the most claims. Zone A properties had an average of 306 claims with an average payout of $26,517 and an average water depth of 2.5 feet. Zone X_UNSHADED properties had an average of 72 claims with a higher average payout of $33,962 and a notable average water depth of 9.6 feet. Homeowners in coastal areas, particularly those in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
25 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Nantucket County, Massachusetts has recorded 45 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | Hurricane | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 2, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Hurricane Earl | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | Jan 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | 1.00K |
| Flood | May 23, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 3, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 11, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Sep 7, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 6, 2019 | 0.20K |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 30, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 4, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Mar 3, 2018 | 0.00K |
Coastal Flood — Jan 29, 2022
Explosive cyclogenesis of a low pressure center off the Mid Atlantic coast brought a strong winter storm with blizzard conditions to all of southern New England Saturday and Saturday night. The storm tracked from east of the Carolinas to the 70w/40n benchmark bringing extreme snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour and winds gusting to hurricane force along the coast and 50 to 60 mph inland. T...
Coastal Flood — Dec 23, 2022
Low pressure deepened rapidly as it tracked through the eastern Great Lakes.|The storm produced damaging southeast to south winds across much of southern New England and minor to moderate coastal flooding the east and south coasts. There were two rounds of strong wind gusts -- one in the morning and one in the late afternoon and evening. Two to 3.5 inches of rain fell across much of RI and in...
Flood — May 23, 2020
Surface low pressure (and an upper level low) passed just south of New England. At the same time, a strong upper level short wave was passing to our north and a strong backdoor cold front was moving southward into northeastern Massachusetts. A mid-level deformation zone set up over southeastern MA, which allowed an area of heavy rain to persist for several hours over Martha's Vineyard and Nan...
Coastal Flood — Apr 3, 2020
A large and intense ocean storm east of New England caused a period of coastal flooding at the time of high tide in the early to mid morning and strong, locally damaging winds from the late morning to mid afternoon. Heavy rain also fell, with 1.50 to 2.75 inches of rain reported in eastern Massachusetts. The storm then moved south and passed north of Bermuda on March 4.
Coastal Flood — Oct 11, 2019
A strong ocean storm well to the south and southeast of Nantucket combined with strong high pressure over the Canadian maritime provinces to create a prolonged period of strong to damaging winds across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The ocean storm was briefly named Subtropical Storm Melissa.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Nantucket County, Massachusetts:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Nantucket County, Massachusetts that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.