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Natural hazards · Grafton

Grafton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Grafton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1982. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Grafton?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Grafton to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding50%Hurricanes29%Cold waves6%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Grafton faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

29% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% 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 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 Grafton flood?

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

12paid claims since 1982
$128Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19822026

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. Grafton 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 Grafton

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GraftonDeclared for Worcester County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$66K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$91K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$46K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$12K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $17K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $28K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$47K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2003

Snow

$84K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
2001

Snow

$57K to the Town of Grafton for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Grafton

Grafton and the towns around it

Upton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingSutton: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorthbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbury: Low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingMilford: Low, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: Very low, mostly inland floodingMendon: Low, mostly inland floodingHopedale: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthborough: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Low, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland floodingUxbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Low, mostly inland flooding GraftonUptonWestboroughShrewsburySuttonNorthbridgeMillburyWorcester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Uptonmostly inland floodingModerate
Millburymostly inland floodingLow
Worcestermostly inland floodingLow
Northbridgemostly inland floodingLow
Graftonmostly inland floodingLow
Suttonmostly inland floodingVery low
Shrewsburymostly inland floodingVery low
Westboroughmostly 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. Grafton covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Grafton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Grafton. 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 Grafton total about $3.6M 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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