Flood in Massachusetts
Every flood event the National Weather Service has filed in Massachusetts, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flood episodes in Massachusetts.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 1,007
- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 18
- Damage
- $224 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flooding in Massachusetts, May 13 to 15, 2006Heavy rainfall, most of it falling over a 100 hour period, caused widespread flooding across much of eastern Massachusetts of small streams and main stem rivers. Major flooding of a number of small streams and main stem rivers occurred in Essex County of Massachusetts.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Massachusetts, March 13 to 21, 2010A stacked low pressure system (surface low and upper level low on top of each other) moved southeast of Nantucket, spreading rain across Southern New England. This resulted in widespread rainfall totals of three to six inches.
- Ice Storm and Flooding in Massachusetts, December 11 to 12, 2008A cold frontal boundary dropped south of New England on the evening of the 10th. Low pressure developed along the frontal boundary across the southeastern states late on the night of the 10th into the 11th.
- Flooding in Massachusetts, March 29 to 31, 2010A low pressure system sat just south of Long Island for two days, bringing heavy rain to much of Southern New England during that time. A persistent southerly low level jet brought very moist air into the area, which resulted in high rainfall rates.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 28, 2020A mid-level short wave trough combined with an approaching cold front and a warm, humid environment to produce severe thunderstorms and flash flooding across MA and northern RI during the afternoon and evening hours. A Flash Flood Emergency occurred in the Norwood, MA area.
- Tornado and Flooding in Massachusetts, July 11, 2006Hot and humid air in place over southern New England set the stage for severe thunderstorms throughout the Bay State during the afternoon and early evening.
- Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Massachusetts, August 28, 2011Hurricane Irene formed east of the Caribbean island of Dominica, part of the Lesser Antilles region, on the afternoon of August 20. Irene moved through the Caribbean and up the east coast of the United States making landfall twice.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 13 to 23, 1998On June 12th through the 14th, a very slow moving complex storm system moved through southeast New England.
- Flooding and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, October 29 to 30, 2012Sandy, a hybrid storm with both tropical and extra-tropical characteristics, brought high winds and coastal flooding to southern New England.
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, February 24 to 25, 2016Low pressure tracked north through New York bringing a warm front through southern New England. Unseasonably deep moisture accompanied this front.
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, August 5, 2010A cold front moved through the area producing thunderstorms and heavy rain across Southern New England.
- Flooding and Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, March 5 to 6, 2001A major winter storm impacted the Bay State with near blizzard conditions, high winds, and coastal flooding.
- Flood and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, December 18, 2023A strong storm system moved up the Atlantic coast Sunday night into Monday, merging with a short wave trough exiting the northern Great Plains and taking the surface low west of southern New England.
- Flooding and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, April 15 to 21, 2007An unusually strong and slow moving coastal storm for mid April tracked to western Long Island Sound on April 16th before weakening slowly and drifting offshore.
- Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, July 23, 2016A cold pool aloft coupled with a large area of instability and a mid level disturbance moving through the area resulted in showers and thunderstorms across much of southern New England. The stronger of these storms produced hail and wind damage.
- Flooding in Massachusetts, October 15, 2005A low pressure system interacted with a plume of tropical moisture as the low slowly moved parallel to the Long Island and south Massachusetts coasts, resulting in excessive rain and flooding across Massachusetts.
- Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, July 1, 2009A stationary front stretched from Hartford, Connecticut across northern Rhode Island to southeast Massachusetts combined with an upper level disturbance to produce showers and thunderstorms across southern New England.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, March 30 to 31, 2001A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of interior Massachusetts, heavy rain and strong winds closer to the coast, and renewed flooding on some rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts.Snowfall accumulations were confined to the higher terrain of western, central, and…
- Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, August 4, 2015The second severe weather event for the day occurred north of the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90). This severe weather was triggered by an approaching cold front from the west.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, March 22 to 31, 2001Widespread flooding occurred on rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts as a result of melting snow and heavy rainfall. The most severe flooding occurred in the Merrimack Valley, where flood damage was estimated at ten million dollars.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, July 10, 2010Two to four inches of rain fell within an hour's time and produced significant urban flash flooding in and around the city of Boston.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, October 4, 2011Low pressure southeast of Nantucket produced widespread showers across southern New England. These showers trained over an area known as the North Shore in Massachusetts, including the towns of Peabody, Swampscott, and Salem.
- Flooding and Hail in Massachusetts, May 24, 2009A cold front moved across Southern New England, triggering showers and thunderstorms. Warm, moist air and a strong low level jet aided in the development of these storms and several storms became severe, producing hail up to two inches in diameter.
- Flood and High Wind in Massachusetts, December 9, 2005A low pressure system centered near the Delaware coast intensified rapidly as it tracked quickly northeast across southern New England, producing near-blizzard conditions across Massachusetts around mid afternoon.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, October 22 to 23, 2014Low pressure moving up the east coast brought a soaking rain and strong winds to much of southern New England. The strongest winds were along the east coast of Massachusetts where many trees were still fully leaved.
More
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.