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Natural hazards · Hardwick

Hardwick, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hardwick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Hardwick?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hardwick to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding49%Hurricanes19%Drought13%Cold waves6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Hardwick faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage
Recorded about 6 times a year 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 windLightning

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 Hardwick flood?

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

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

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HardwickDeclared for Worcester County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$26K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$14K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$50K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$74K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$17K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2003

Snow

$33K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
2001

Snow

$10K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Hardwick

Hardwick and the towns around it

New Braintree: Low, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland floodingWare: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Brookfield: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Brookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingAthol: High, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingPalmer Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingHardwick: Low, mostly inland flooding HardwickNew BraintreePetershamWare
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Waremostly inland floodingModerate
Hardwickmostly inland floodingLow
New Braintreemostly inland floodingLow
Petershammostly 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. Hardwick covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hardwick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hardwick. 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 Hardwick total about $834K 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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