Middlesex County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Middlesex County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.9 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, riverine flooding, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,940 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.7 | $7.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.5 | $224M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96.3 | $2.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95.5 | $30M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.1 | $3.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.2 | $9.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.1 | $24M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.7 | $8.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $9.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 67.2 | $147K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72.8 | $268K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.2 | $418K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 54.6 | $2K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.6 | $107K |
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 | 632 | 0 | $6.0M | 7th of 12 | 947th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 358 | 2 | $5.6M | 7th of 12 | 98th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 352 | 3 | $15M | 8th of 12 | 599th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 258 | 0 | $80M | 7th of 12 | 378th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 183 | 0 | $118K | 6th of 12 | 1638th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 63 | 1 | $4.4M | 4th of 12 | 64th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 30 | 0 | – | 6th of 12 | 1779th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 27 | 0 | – | 7th of 12 | 345th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 1 | $29M | 5th of 12 | 1888th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $5.8M | 9th of 12 | 788th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 8th of 12 | 1892nd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 7th of 12 | 2445th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Middlesex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.