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Natural hazards · Orange

Orange, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Orange comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Orange?

72
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Orange to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes7%Cold waves5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Orange faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Orange flood?

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Orange isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.
Disasters that hit Orange

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OrangeDeclared for Franklin County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$108K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

2 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $25K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$100K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $38K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$33K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2003

Snow

$40K to the Town of Orange for repairs
2001

Snow

$32K to the Town of Orange for repairs
Franklin County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Orange

Orange and the towns around it

Athol: High, mostly inland floodingWendell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoyalston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingErving: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland floodingMontague: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinchester: Very high, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTempleton: Low, mostly inland floodingGill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham: Low, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingWare: Moderate, mostly inland floodingShutesbury: Low, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland flooding OrangeAtholWendellWarwickRoyalstonErvingNew Salem
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Orangemostly inland floodingHigh
Atholmostly inland floodingHigh
Royalstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Wendellmostly inland floodingModerate
Warwickmostly inland floodingModerate
Ervingmostly inland floodingModerate
New Salemmostly inland floodingLow
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. Orange covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Orange’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Orange. 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 Orange total about $3.1M 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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