Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in West Dennis
West Dennis isn’t graded for hazard risk: West Dennis is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 85 claims here since 1978.
What West Dennis 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
Coastal 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 West Dennis flood? Sometimes: 85 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Dennis, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Bob40 claims · $413K
- The December nor’easter6 claims · $237K
- The “Halloween” storm3 claims · $19K
West Dennis isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Barnstable County.The storms West Dennis remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Barnstable County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Dennis itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199143 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storm, declared for Barnstable County
- 19939 flood claims paidThe year of Blizzards, High Winds and Record Snowfall, declared for Barnstable County
- 19907 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Barnstable County has had 18 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 West Dennis after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Dennis archive →West Dennis and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 200 |
| Yarmouth | B−more damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 169 |
| Dennis Port | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| South Yarmouth | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| South Dennis | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 West Dennis 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.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- 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 West Dennis
Does West Dennis flood?
Flood insurance has paid 85 claims in West Dennis since 1978, $891K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Bob (40).
Is West Dennis 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 Barnstable County, 40% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 5.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Dennis?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Dennis’ 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 West Dennis?
By flood claims, Hurricane Bob: 40 paid, $413K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Dennis.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Dennis’ 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.