Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0

–Not graded

Natural hazards in Worcester · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Worcester

Worcester isn’t graded for hazard risk: Worcester has 831 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1995.

Flood claims

paid since 1995 · $4K

Disasters paid out here

of 29 declared for Washington County

By hazard

What Worcester 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

92%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Smaller shares here

Hurricanes Earthquakes Winter storms Strong wind Ice storms Landslides top 2% Lightning Tornadoes Wildfire Hail 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 Worcester flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1995

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

Paid flood claims, by year

1995

19952026

paid claims since 1995

$4K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$4K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

Worcester 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.

Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Worcester

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

2024Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides33 households applied for aid$165K aid approved$4.0M to the Town of Worcester for repairs
2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides49 households applied for aid$175K aid approved$907K to the Town of Worcester for repairs
2019Severe Storm and Flooding$17K to the Town of Worcester for repairs
2011Tropical Storm Irene9 households applied for aid$18K aid approved$30K to the Town of Worcester for repairs
2007Severe Storms and Flooding$132K to the Town of Worcester for repairs

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in WorcesterWashington County only

Washington County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Worcester archive →

Next door

Worcester and its neighbors

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

StoweCalaisMiddlesexElmoreWorcester

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
Calais	A⁻less damage than 78%	river and rain flooding	3
Stowe	Bless damage than 61%	river and rain flooding	18
Middlesex	Bless damage than 60%	river and rain flooding	32
Elmore	—	964 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 Worcester 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 Worcester

Does Worcester flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Worcester since 1995, $4K in all.

Is Worcester 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 Worcester?

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

By FEMA money that reached Worcester, Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2024): 33 households applied for aid, $165K approved, and $4.0M to the Town of Worcester for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Worcester.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

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