Natural Disaster Risk in Nantucket

Natural Hazard Profile: Nantucket, Massachusetts

Located along the northeastern Atlantic Seaboard in Nantucket County, Nantucket is a city of approximately 14,212 residents. The humid continental climate that characterizes this part of Massachusetts — marked by cold winters with heavy snowfall and warm summers — directly influences the types and severity of natural hazards present, making Nantucket a community where hazard awareness has real practical value.

Nantucket's overall natural disaster risk is rated 3.3/10 (Low) by FEMA's National Risk Index. Coastal flood risk defines the local natural hazard environment, with sea-level rise trends gradually increasing the frequency of tidal flooding events alongside storm surge threats. Secondary hazards include hurricane and tsunami.

Relative to other U.S. communities, Nantucket's natural disaster risk is below the U.S. national average of 4.5/10, considerably below the 6.5/10 state average. The hazard distribution here is led by coastal flood and hurricane, as measured by FEMA across Nantucket County. While city-specific sub-county variation exists, these scores represent the best available federal risk estimate.

Nantucket carries a below-average natural disaster risk, reflecting fewer and less severe hazard exposures than typical U.S. communities. Even so, the area's primary risk — coastal flood — warrants awareness and appropriate insurance coverage, as lower risk does not mean zero risk.