Barnstable County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Barnstable County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.1 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding, hurricane, lightning. Its storm record holds 755 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 94.6 | $12M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.5 | $20M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.7 | $1.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.7 | $44M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.8 | $789K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $1.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 69.0 | $561K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.6 | $5K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 46.3 | $76K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 38.9 | $230K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 31.3 | $31K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 30.3 | $450K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 24.8 | $24K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.2 | $59K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 339 | 1 | $6.6M | 2nd of 12 | 12th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 106 | 0 | $4.7M | 12th of 12 | 1957th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 87 | 0 | $9.3M | 6th of 12 | 352nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 70 | 1 | $2.1M | 11th of 12 | 816th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 49 | 0 | $18K | 10th of 12 | 2087th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 32 | 1 | $4.5M | 5th of 12 | 67th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 26 | 0 | $5.2M | 2nd of 12 | 219th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 0 | $69K | 3rd of 12 | 150th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 0 | $5.8M | 10th of 12 | 2218th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 6 | 0 | – | 7th of 12 | 1805th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 7th of 12 | 1870th of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | – | 2nd of 12 | 165th of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 10th of 12 | 2605th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 3rd of 12 | 772nd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Barnstable County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.