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Natural hazards · Pepperell

Pepperell, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pepperell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1987. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Pepperell?

24
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pepperell to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes11%Drought7%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Pepperell faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Pepperell flood?

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

15paid claims since 1987
$186Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 7 claims, $79K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $65K

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. Pepperell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Middlesex County.
Disasters that hit Pepperell

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PepperellDeclared for Middlesex County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$38K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$72K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$51K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$7K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$23K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $4K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$155K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$22K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2003

Snow

$29K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
2001

Snow

$11K to the Town of Pepperell for repairs
Middlesex County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Pepperell

Pepperell and the towns around it

Groton: Very low, mostly inland floodingDunstable: Very low, mostly inland floodingHollis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTownsend: Low, mostly inland floodingShirley: Very low, mostly inland floodingAyer: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestford: Very low, mostly inland floodingTyngsborough: Low, mostly inland floodingLittleton: Very low, mostly inland floodingNashua: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMilford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrookline: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMerrimack: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAmherst: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingPepperell: Low, mostly inland flooding PepperellGrotonDunstableHollisTownsend
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Hollismostly inland floodingModerate
Townsendmostly inland floodingLow
Pepperellmostly inland floodingLow
Grotonmostly inland floodingVery low
Dunstablemostly 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. Pepperell covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pepperell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Pepperell. 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 Pepperell 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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Where to, neighbor?

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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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