Natural hazards · Dudley

Dudley, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dudley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1998. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dudley?

37
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dudley to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding61%Hurricanes20%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Dudley faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 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 Dudley flood?

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

4paid claims since 1998
$21Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19982026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dudley 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 Dudley

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DudleyDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$43K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$24K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$39K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $110K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$24K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2003

Snow

$45K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
2001

Snow

$19K to the Town of Dudley for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Dudley

Dudley and the towns around it

Webster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthbridge Town: High, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Low, mostly inland floodingSturbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbury: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingSutton: Very low, mostly inland floodingDudley: Low, mostly inland flooding DudleyWebsterSouthbridge TownOxford
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Southbridge Townmostly inland floodingHigh
Webstermostly inland floodingModerate
Dudleymostly inland floodingLow
Oxfordmostly inland floodingLow
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. Dudley covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dudley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dudley. 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 Dudley total about $2.5M 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