Norfolk County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Norfolk County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.0 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by riverine flooding, ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,321 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.5 | $103M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 89.7 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.5 | $1.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 85.2 | $5.1M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | $16M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.5 | $8.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.6 | $3.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | $3.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.0 | $3.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.3 | $1.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.1 | $9K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.2 | $81K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 41.4 | $98K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 49.8 | $61K |
| Hail | Very Low | 10.2 | $43K |
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 | 403 | 0 | $3.3M | 3rd of 12 | 14th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 254 | 0 | $1.7M | 3rd of 12 | 671st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 233 | 4 | $14M | 2nd of 12 | 297th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 187 | 0 | $78M | 1st of 12 | 91st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $1K | 4th of 12 | 1236th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 56 | 0 | $5.3M | 1st of 12 | 18th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 33 | 0 | – | 2nd of 12 | 122nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 25 | 0 | – | 1st of 12 | 442nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | – | 3rd of 12 | 1638th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 1 | $30M | 1st of 12 | 1393rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 13 | 0 | $7.9M | 3rd of 12 | 238th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 3rd of 12 | 2018th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 12 | 775th 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 Norfolk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.