Photo: MarinelaK · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Aquinnah
Aquinnah isn’t graded for hazard risk: Aquinnah has 666 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1991.
What Aquinnah faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Aquinnah flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1991
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Aquinnah, from FEMA’s records.
- The “Halloween” storm1 claim · $10K
- Hurricane Bob1 claim · $4K
Aquinnah isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Dukes County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Aquinnah
Disasters that paid out in Aquinnah itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Aquinnah), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2012Hurricane Sandy$25K to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene$807 to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding$6K to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs
- 2005Record And/or Near Record Snow$5K to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs
- 2003Snow$3K to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs
Dukes County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Aquinnah after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Aquinnah archive →Aquinnah and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Aquinnah faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Aquinnah
Does Aquinnah flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Aquinnah since 1991, $24K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from The "Halloween" Storm (1).
Is Aquinnah in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Dukes County, 53% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 5.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Aquinnah?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Aquinnah’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Aquinnah?
By FEMA money that reached Aquinnah, Hurricane Sandy (2012): $25K to the Town of Aquinnah for repairs. By flood claims, The "Halloween" Storm: 1 paid, $10K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Aquinnah.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Aquinnah’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.