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Natural hazards · Auburn

Auburn, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Auburn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Auburn?

18
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Auburn to be higher than in 18% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding48%Hurricanes28%Cold waves6%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Auburn faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
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 Auburn flood?

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

14paid claims since 1978
$97Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $2K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Auburn isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Worcester County.
Disasters that hit Auburn

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Auburn itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Auburn.

Brought FEMA money into AuburnDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $300 aid approved
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$75K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$97K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$77K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$104K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$21K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

24 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $15K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$161K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $43K aid approved $23K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$59K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $966 aid approved
2003

Snow

$60K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
2001

Snow

$39K to the Town of Auburn for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Auburn

Auburn and the towns around it

Leicester: Very low, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbury: Low, mostly inland floodingPaxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Low, mostly inland floodingSutton: Very low, mostly inland floodingDudley: Low, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland flooding AuburnLeicesterOxfordWorcesterMillbury
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Oxfordmostly inland floodingLow
Worcestermostly inland floodingLow
Millburymostly inland floodingLow
Auburnmostly inland floodingVery low
Leicestermostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Auburn covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Auburn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Auburn. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Auburn total about $3.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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