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Natural hazards · Northborough

Northborough, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Northborough comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2005. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Northborough?

22
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Northborough to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding52%Hurricanes28%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Northborough faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Northborough flood?

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

3paid claims since 2005
$22Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20052026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $18K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Northborough 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 Northborough

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorthboroughDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$58K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$79K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$90K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$241K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$35K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

84 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $9K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$61K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$74K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2003

Snow

$68K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
2001

Snow

$32K to the Town of Northborough for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Northborough

Northborough and the towns around it

Westborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingMarlborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Low, mostly inland floodingHopkinton: Very low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingUpton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHudson: Very low, mostly inland floodingFramingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingSudbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Very low, mostly hurricanesBolton: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthborough: Low, mostly inland flooding NorthboroughWestboroughMarlboroughShrewsburyBoylstonBerlin
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Northboroughmostly inland floodingLow
Berlinmostly inland floodingLow
Shrewsburymostly inland floodingVery low
Boylstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Westboroughmostly inland floodingVery low
Marlboroughmostly 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. Northborough covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Northborough’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Northborough. 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 Northborough total about $3.7M 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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