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Natural hazards · Gardner

Gardner, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gardner comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gardner?

19
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gardner to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding53%Hurricanes19%Cold waves9%Earthquakes5%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Gardner faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Gardner flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Gardner.

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

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GardnerDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$67K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$79K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$48K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$4K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$492K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$42K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2004

Flooding

3 households applied for aid $8K aid approved
2003

Snow

$76K to the City of Gardner for repairs
2001

Snow

$42K to the City of Gardner for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Gardner

Gardner and the towns around it

Templeton: Low, mostly inland floodingAshburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingRoyalston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingRindge: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingGardner: Very low, mostly inland flooding GardnerTempletonAshburnhamWestminsterWinchendonHubbardston
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Winchendonmostly inland floodingModerate
Ashburnhammostly inland floodingLow
Templetonmostly inland floodingLow
Gardnermostly inland floodingVery low
Westminstermostly inland floodingVery low
Hubbardstonmostly 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. Gardner covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gardner’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gardner. 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 Gardner total about $3.2M 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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