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Natural hazards · Blackstone

Blackstone, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Blackstone comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Blackstone?

50
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Blackstone to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes19%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Blackstone faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Blackstone flood?

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

5paid claims since 1978
$12Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $891
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Blackstone 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 Blackstone

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BlackstoneDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$54K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$53K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$35K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

118 households applied for aid $268K aid approved $40K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $48K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$24K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $977 aid approved
2003

Snow

$32K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
2001

Snow

$18K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Blackstone

Blackstone and the towns around it

Bellingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingMillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoonsocket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMendon: Low, mostly inland floodingHopedale: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Town: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedway: Low, mostly inland floodingMilford: Low, mostly inland floodingWrentham: Very low, mostly inland floodingUxbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Smithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingBlackstone: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BlackstoneBellinghamMillvilleWoonsocket
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Blackstonemostly inland floodingModerate
Woonsocketmostly inland floodingModerate
Millvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Bellinghammostly 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. Blackstone covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Blackstone’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Blackstone. 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 Blackstone total about $1.9M 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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