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Natural hazards · Leicester

Leicester, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Leicester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1987. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Leicester?

13
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Leicester to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding48%Hurricanes24%Cold waves8%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Leicester faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 11% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Leicester flood?

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

12paid claims since 1987
$152Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $2K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $14K

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. Leicester 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 Leicester

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LeicesterDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$24K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$31K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$8K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $15K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$309K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $24K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$26K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2003

Snow

$35K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
2001

Snow

$23K to the Town of Leicester for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Leicester

Leicester and the towns around it

Auburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingPaxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbury: Low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpencer: Low, mostly inland floodingLeicester: Very low, mostly inland flooding LeicesterAuburnPaxton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Auburnmostly inland floodingVery low
Leicestermostly 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. Leicester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Leicester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Leicester. 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 Leicester total about $1.7M 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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