765 flood insurance claims·$12.6M paid·7 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Worcester County, Massachusetts. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
River flooding and flash flooding from storms dominate the flood profile of Worcester County, supported by 135 flood events, 78 flash flood events, and 6 tropical storm events recorded over the last 30 years. Recent weather patterns illustrate these hazards, such as an inland low-pressure system in January 2024 that caused widespread river flooding and major flood stages on many rivers. Additionally, overnight storms in June 2024 brought damaging winds and flash flooding to the region.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks extend beyond high-risk areas. Properties located in Zone A account for the highest volume and severity of impacts, registering 462 claims with an average payout of $29,965 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. However, properties in lower-risk designations also experience damages. Zone X records show 97 claims averaging an $11,190 payout and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Unshaded Zone X properties recorded 94 claims with an average payout of $12,437 and an average water depth of 6 inches, while shaded Zone X properties logged 48 claims with an average payout of $16,339 and an average water depth of 11 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located near rivers within Zone A, as well as properties in Zone X designations where localized heavy rainfall and severe storms frequently produce damaging water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
23% of Worcester County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
605 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 10 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2005, with 138 claims and $4.1M paid, the year of Hurricane Katrina Evacuation and Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
113 NOAA storm reports from Worcester County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Massachusetts flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1985, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Lee | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 11, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Mar 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 27, 2012 |
| Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2011 |
| Severe Storm And Snowstorm | Oct 29, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
219 since 1996: 78 flash floods and 135 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 8, 2025. A stalled boundary produced very localized flash flooding as well as some quarter sized hail in central MA.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2024. Strong storms moved through southern New England overnight bringing a line of very strong winds, some flash flooding, and two tornados to Massachusetts.
Flood · Jun 21, 2024. Two rounds of thunderstorms brought damaging winds and isolated flash flooding to Massachusetts in the afternoon and evening.
Flood · Jan 10, 2024. A negatively tilted mid level trough swung through New England while at the surface a low pressure center passed directly over southern New England. This inland runner brought warm air so that all precipitation fell as rain, along with strong winds. There was a good deal of tree damage from the winds and widespread river flooding with many rivers going into major flood stage. Coastal flooding was also a problem. M…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Worcester County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.