Photo: Jared and Corin · CC BY-SA 2.0

–Not graded

Natural hazards in Andover · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Andover

Andover isn’t graded for hazard risk: Andover has 616 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1984.

Flood claims

paid since 1984 · $41K

Disasters paid out here

of 24 declared for Windsor County

By hazard

What Andover 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

87%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

5%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Smaller shares here

Tornadoes Strong wind Earthquakes Ice storms Winter storms Landslides top 4% Lightning Hail Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Andover flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1984

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Andover, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year

198420092022

19842026

paid claims since 1984

$41K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$14K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

Andover isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Windsor County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone property bought out and cleared

Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Andover

Disasters that paid out in Andover itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Andover), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides17 households applied for aid$191K aid approved$1.0M to the Town of Andover for repairs
2019Severe Storms and Flooding$17K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2011Tropical Storm Irene14 households applied for aid$31K aid approved$267K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2007Severe Storms and Flooding$23K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2003Severe Storms and Flooding$1K to the Town of Andover for repairs
2001Snow$5K to the Town of Andover for repairs

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in AndoverWindsor County only

Windsor County has had 24 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

Old photos of Andover after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Andover archive →

Next door

Andover and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

WestonChesterLudlowWindhamAndover

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
Ludlow	C⁺more damage than 59%	river and rain flooding	49
Chester	C⁻more damage than 76%	river and rain flooding	45
Weston	—	685 residents; we grade 1,000+
Windham	—	594 residents; we grade 1,000+

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Andover faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises

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.

Questions about natural hazards in Andover

Does Andover flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Andover since 1984, $41K in all.

Is Andover 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 Windsor County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Andover?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Andover’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 Andover?

By FEMA money that reached Andover, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 17 households applied for aid, $191K approved, and $1.0M to the Town of Andover for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Andover.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Andover’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.

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