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Natural hazards · Fitchburg

Fitchburg, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fitchburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fitchburg?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fitchburg to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes14%Cold waves6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Fitchburg faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Fitchburg flood?

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

29paid claims since 1979
$390Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $91K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $26K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FitchburgDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $21K aid approved
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

39 households applied for aid $39K aid approved
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2004

Flooding

11 households applied for aid $12K aid approved
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Fitchburg

Fitchburg and the towns around it

Leominster: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingAshburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingGardner: Very low, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingShirley: Very low, mostly inland floodingTownsend: Low, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland flooding FitchburgLeominsterWestminsterLunenburgAshbyAshburnham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fitchburgmostly inland floodingModerate
Ashburnhammostly inland floodingLow
Leominstermostly inland floodingLow
Lunenburgmostly inland floodingVery low
Westminstermostly inland floodingVery low
Ashbymostly 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. Fitchburg covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fitchburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fitchburg. 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 Fitchburg total about $9.3M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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