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Natural hazards · Holden

Holden, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Holden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1984. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Holden?

15
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Holden to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding50%Hurricanes22%Cold waves8%Everything else19%
By hazard

What Holden 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 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

8% 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 Holden flood?

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

1paid claims since 1984
$2Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19842026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Holden 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 Holden

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HoldenDeclared for Worcester County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$56K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$56K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$64K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$51K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$7K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $45K aid approved $36K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$2.3M to the Town of Holden for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $2K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$60K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved
2003

Snow

$78K to the Town of Holden for repairs
2001

Snow

$40K to the Town of Holden for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Holden

Holden and the towns around it

Paxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingSterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpencer: Low, mostly inland floodingLeicester: Very low, mostly inland floodingOakham: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingBoylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingLeominster: Low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Very low, mostly hurricanesLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland flooding HoldenPaxtonRutlandWest BoylstonPrincetonSterling
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Princetonmostly inland floodingVery low
Sterlingmostly inland floodingVery low
Holdenmostly inland floodingVery low
West Boylstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Rutlandmostly inland floodingVery low
Paxtonmostly 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. Holden covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Holden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Holden. 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 Holden 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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