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Natural hazards · Paxton

Paxton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paxton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Paxton?

9
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paxton to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding45%Hurricanes26%Cold waves8%Tornadoes5%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Paxton faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

26% 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 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Paxton flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Paxton 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 Paxton

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PaxtonDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $38K aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$5K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $37K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$1.6M to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $6K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$13K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2003

Snow

$8K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
2001

Snow

$15K to the Town of Paxton for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Paxton

Paxton and the towns around it

Holden: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpencer: Low, mostly inland floodingLeicester: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingSterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingOakham: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingPaxton: Very low, mostly inland flooding PaxtonHoldenRutlandSpencerLeicester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Spencermostly inland floodingLow
Holdenmostly inland floodingVery low
Leicestermostly 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. Paxton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paxton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Paxton. 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 Paxton total about $859K 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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