Question 1

Which county in Massachusetts has the highest natural disaster risk?

Accepted Answer

Middlesex County has the highest natural disaster risk score in Massachusetts at 96.9 (Relatively High), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.

Question 2

Which county in Massachusetts is the safest from natural disasters?

Accepted Answer

Dukes County has the lowest natural disaster risk score in Massachusetts at 16.8 (Very Low), based on FEMA NRI data.

Question 3

What natural disasters are most common in Massachusetts?

Accepted Answer

Massachusetts counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.

Question 4

How is natural disaster risk measured by county?

Accepted Answer

The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

County	Risk Score	Rating	Flood	Wildfire	Tornado	Earthquake
Middlesex County	96.9	Relatively High	98.5	72.8	90.1	96.1
Essex County	95.6	Relatively High	97.8	59.2	92.4	94.9
Worcester County	93.5	Relatively Moderate	95.3	62.6	82.2	89.3
Suffolk County	93.5	Relatively Moderate	94.7	9.0	75.3	95.0
Hampden County	92.8	Relatively Moderate	95.9	39.3	82.7	90.6
Norfolk County	92.0	Relatively Moderate	95.5	49.8	69.0	91.5
Plymouth County	90.4	Relatively Moderate	94.4	53.8	48.2	87.7
Bristol County	89.9	Relatively Moderate	93.6	38.2	52.1	88.6
Barnstable County	89.1	Relatively Moderate	94.6	53.2	45.5	78.1
Berkshire County	84.0	Relatively Moderate	90.6	25.2	48.8	72.1
Hampshire County	69.9	Relatively Low	79.4	35.8	46.9	70.1
Franklin County	60.7	Relatively Low	73.5	37.0	31.6	58.7
Nantucket County	38.7	Very Low	70.0	13.0	4.1	22.4
Dukes County	16.8	Very Low	55.4	27.9	10.7	33.5

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