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Natural hazards · Oxford

Oxford, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oxford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Oxford?

29
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oxford to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding57%Hurricanes24%Cold waves5%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Oxford faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% 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 6 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 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 Oxford flood?

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

4paid claims since 1978
$17Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Oxford 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 Oxford

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OxfordDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$40K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$79K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$84K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$35K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$34K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $302K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$35K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $23K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$59K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2004

Flooding

2 households applied for aid $354 aid approved
2003

Snow

$67K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
2001

Snow

$34K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Oxford

Oxford and the towns around it

Millbury: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Low, mostly inland floodingSutton: Very low, mostly inland floodingDudley: Low, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingLeicester: Very low, mostly inland floodingSouthbridge Town: High, mostly inland floodingSturbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Brookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpencer: Low, mostly inland floodingNorthbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingUxbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingWebster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingThompson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland flooding OxfordMillburyAuburnCharltonSuttonDudleyDouglas
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dudleymostly inland floodingLow
Oxfordmostly inland floodingLow
Charltonmostly inland floodingLow
Douglasmostly inland floodingLow
Millburymostly inland floodingLow
Auburnmostly inland floodingVery low
Suttonmostly 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. Oxford covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oxford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Oxford. 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 Oxford total about $2.6M 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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