Essex County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Essex County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.6 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding, ice storm, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 1,316 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 | 97.8 | $19M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.4 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.1 | $125M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.0 | $2.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.3 | $15M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.4 | $9.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 88.7 | $2.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.9 | $15M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.8 | $3.7M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.6 | $3.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 62.6 | $3K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 46.0 | $59K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59.2 | $83K |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.9 | $53K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 346 | 1 | $14M | 4th of 12 | 787th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 292 | 1 | $6.2M | 6th of 12 | 43rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 257 | 0 | $14M | 3rd of 12 | 323rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 189 | 3 | $69M | 3rd of 12 | 125th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 98 | 0 | $227K | 3rd of 12 | 1205th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 49 | 3 | $1.7M | 3rd of 12 | 49th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 0 | – | 6th of 12 | 241st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | – | 4th of 12 | 1697th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 13 | 0 | $3.4M | 4th of 12 | 293rd of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $3.3M | 6th of 12 | 1921st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 4th of 12 | 1467th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 4th of 12 | 2167th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | $62K | 1st of 12 | 179th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Essex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.