3,262 flood insurance claims·$25.8M paid·12 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 Norfolk 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.
Coastal flooding and general flooding dominate the historical record in Norfolk County, supported by decades of NOAA storm events including coastal floods, standard floods, flash floods, storm surges and tides, and tropical storms. A recent July 2025 flash flood event driven by a tropical airmass caused widespread road closures, including both directions of I-93 near Braintree where vehicles became stuck in standing water.
Federal Emergency Management Agency insurance claims data show that properties in high-risk Zone A have filed the highest volume of claims at 2,165, with an average payout of $10,788 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Properties in moderate-to-low risk Zone X recorded 257 claims with an average payout of $14,153 and an average water depth of 11 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties recorded 419 claims averaging $8,785 and 5 inches of water depth. Shaded Zone X areas logged 128 claims averaging $4,670 with a 5-inch average depth, and unknown zones accounted for 212 claims averaging $7,064 and 4 inches of water.
Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in designated coastal and riverine high-risk zones, as well as properties outside standard mapped flood zones that have historically experienced localized flash flooding and surface water accumulation, should pay the closest attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Norfolk County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
2,787 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 7 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 2010, with 476 claims and $5.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding and Hurricane Earl.
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.
148 NOAA storm reports from Norfolk County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Massachusetts flood stories →
38 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 12 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 28, 2022 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
319 since 1996: 51 flash floods, 105 river or area floods and 147 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Mar 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 4, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2023 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 23, 2023 | $3,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2025. A tropical airmass overhead contributed to localized flash flooding in eastern MA in the early morning hours. Many roads were closed due to flooding, including both directions of I-93 near Braintree where cars got stuck in water.
Coastal Flood · Jan 13, 2024. A low pressure system over the southern Plains strengthened significantly as it reached the eastern Great Lakes. This placed New England on the warm side of the storm with strong SE winds and rain instead of snow. This lead to widespread river flooding and coastal flooding on both the south and east coasts of southern New England. The heaviest rain fell over eastern CT, RI, and eastern MA with totals of 1 to 3 inc…
Coastal Flood · Mar 10, 2024. A low pressure system moving up the east coast linked up with a mid level trough bringing widespread 1-2 inches of rain overnight along with gusty winds which led to some minor coastal flooding in 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…
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 Norfolk 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.