Flood Help Guide

Suffolk County flood history

Massachusetts · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08

4,369NFIP flood claims since 1978
$29.0 millionPaid on those claims
$28,278Average paid claimlast 10 years
2.5%Homes with NFIP flood insurance
7Flood disaster declarationssince 2000

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 4,369 flood insurance claims in Suffolk County, Massachusetts since 1978. The NFIP paid $29.0 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).

The year with the most claims was 1991, with 731, mostly from The "Halloween" Storm.

In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 283 claims, and the average paid claim was $28,278.

17% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).

About 2.5% of homes in Suffolk County, Massachusetts had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (3,270 of 132,056 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 53% (2,667 of 5,006).

Since 2000, FEMA has made 7 flood-related disaster declarations covering Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The most recent was DR-4214-MA (Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding), declared April 13, 2015.

NFIP claims by year

NFIP flood claims per year in Suffolk County, Massachusetts02505007501k1978: 527 claims, $4.1 million paid1979: 675 claims, $1.9 million paid1980: 23 claims, $163,196 paid19801981: 44 claims, $113,588 paid1982: 159 claims, $262,372 paid1983: 41 claims, $266,916 paid1984: 43 claims, $37,060 paid1985: 44 claims, $26,373 paid1986: 5 claims, $4,946 paid1987: 142 claims, $327,463 paid1988: 10 claims, $4,215 paid1989: 7 claims, $27,414 paid1990: 21 claims, $34,551 paid19901991: 731 claims, $7.6 million paid1992: 380 claims, $2.5 million paid1993: 20 claims, $18,583 paid1994: 7 claims, $10,118 paid1995: 7 claims, $9,414 paid1996: 295 claims, $1.2 million paid1997: 5 claims, $4,382 paid1998: 109 claims, $373,557 paid1999: 31 claims, $74,799 paid2000: 16 claims, $36,297 paid20002001: 98 claims, $220,538 paid2002: 4 claims, $4,770 paid2003: 62 claims, $366,118 paid2004: 80 claims, $207,000 paid2005: 26 claims, $89,072 paid2006: 211 claims, $2.1 million paid2007: 45 claims, $246,016 paid2008: 19 claims, $64,102 paid2009: 3 claims, $3,970 paid2010: 117 claims, $405,360 paid20102011: 10 claims, $76,878 paid2012: 17 claims, $95,613 paid2013: 23 claims, $168,447 paid2014: 24 claims, $103,020 paid2015: 4 claims, $20,151 paid2016: 1 claims, $12,616 paid2017: 24 claims, $159,156 paid2018: 154 claims, $3.9 million paid2019: 9 claims, $9,132 paid2020: 6 claims, $6,351 paid20202021: 29 claims, $219,648 paid2022: 7 claims, $24,170 paid2023: 16 claims, $188,811 paid2024: 32 claims, $1.2 million paid2025: 2 claims, $0 paid2026: 4 claims, $22,638 paid
Claims per year of loss. Hover or tap a bar for details.
Show as a table
YearClaimsPaid
20264$22,638
20252$0
202432$1.2 million
202316$188,811
20227$24,170
202129$219,648
20206$6,351
20199$9,132
2018154$3.9 million
201724$159,156
20161$12,616
20154$20,151
201424$103,020
201323$168,447
201217$95,613
201110$76,878
2010117$405,360
20093$3,970
200819$64,102
200745$246,016
2006211$2.1 million
200526$89,072
200480$207,000
200362$366,118
20024$4,770
200198$220,538
200016$36,297
199931$74,799
1998109$373,557
19975$4,382
1996295$1.2 million
19957$9,414
19947$10,118
199320$18,583
1992380$2.5 million
1991731$7.6 million
199021$34,551
19897$27,414
198810$4,215
1987142$327,463
19865$4,946
198544$26,373
198443$37,060
198341$266,916
1982159$262,372
198144$113,588
198023$163,196
1979675$1.9 million
1978527$4.1 million

Named flood events

EventYearClaimsPaid
The "Halloween" Storm1991719$7.5 million
Flooding1978493$4.0 million
December Storm - Nor'easter1992378$2.5 million
Not a named storm1979644$1.7 million
Flooding1996270$1.2 million
Flooding199886$350,407
Flooding1987140$327,463
March 2010 Nor'easter201089$306,887

How many homes have flood insurance

FEMA counts 3,270 residential NFIP policies in Suffolk County, against 132,056 residential buildings (2.5%). Of the 5,006 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 2,667 have an NFIP policy (53%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.

Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?

Flood-related disaster declarations

DeclarationDeclaredEventHelp for individuals
DR-4214-MA Apr 13, 2015 Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding No
DR-4110-MA Apr 19, 2013 Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding No
DR-1895-MA Mar 29, 2010 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1642-MA May 25, 2006 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1614-MA Nov 10, 2005 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1512-MA Apr 21, 2004 Flooding Yes
DR-1364-MA Apr 10, 2001 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes

Check your own address

County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of Massachusetts.

Where these numbers come from

All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:

FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.