Roxbury Fish Hatchery (Additional Documentation) · Photo: JMRDC · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Roxbury
Roxbury isn’t graded for hazard risk: Roxbury has 942 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2011.
What Roxbury 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
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 Roxbury flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Roxbury, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene2 claims · $42K
Roxbury isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Roxbury
Disasters that paid out in Roxbury itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Roxbury), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides8 households applied for aid$15K aid approved$3.2M to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
- 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$11K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
- 2017Severe Storms and Flooding$123K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
- 2014Severe Winter Storm$12K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
- 2014Severe Storms and Flooding$4K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms and Flooding$771K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
Show all 8
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene41 households applied for aid$143K aid approved$1.7M to the Town of Roxbury for repairs2 flood claims paid for it, $42K
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$13K to the Town of Roxbury for repairs
Washington County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Roxbury after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Roxbury archive →Roxbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Braintree | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Brookfield | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Roxbury 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.
- 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 Roxbury
Does Roxbury flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Roxbury since 2011, $42K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (2).
Is Roxbury 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 Washington County, 38% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Roxbury?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Roxbury’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 Roxbury?
By FEMA money that reached Roxbury, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 8 households applied for aid, $15K approved, and $3.2M to the Town of Roxbury for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 2 paid, $42K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Roxbury.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Roxbury’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.