4,369 flood insurance claims·$29.0M 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 Suffolk 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 flood profile of Suffolk County, accounting for 42 and 41 events respectively over the last 30 years, alongside 31 flash flood events, 8 storm surge/tide events, and 4 tropical storm events. Recent NOAA storm data illustrates this vulnerability, such as a low pressure system on January 10, 2024, that brought heavy rain, strong winds, and minor to moderate coastal flooding, as well as a strong Nor'easter on April 4, 2024, that produced widespread heavy rainfall and minor to moderate coastal flooding along the east coast of Massachusetts.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims spanning multiple zones, with Zone A recording the highest volume at 2,555 claims with an average payout of $9,051 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1,124 claims with an average payout of $5,677 and an average water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X logged 173 claims averaging $9,105 with an average water depth of 11 inches. Zone X shaded recorded 168 claims averaging $12,369 with an average water depth of 12 inches, and Zone X unshaded logged 207 claims averaging $6,048 with an average water depth of 5 inches.
Properties in Zone A, shaded Zone X, and unshaded Zone X should pay the closest attention, as these areas experience higher average payouts and greater average water depths ranging from 5 to 12 inches per claim.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
12% of Suffolk County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
3,072 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 6 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 731 claims and $7.6M 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.
35 NOAA storm reports from Suffolk County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Massachusetts flood stories →
38 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 | Jan 28, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 11, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
126 since 1996: 31 flash floods, 41 river or area floods and 50 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2024 | — |
| 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 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2024. Strong storms moved through southern New England overnight bringing a line of very strong winds, some flash flooding, and two tornados to Massachusetts.
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 Suffolk 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.