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Natural hazards · Petersham

Petersham, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Petersham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low 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 Petersham?

14
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Petersham to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding49%Hurricanes21%Drought7%Cold waves7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Petersham faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Drought

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

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Petersham flood?

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

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

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PetershamDeclared for Worcester County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$34K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$7K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$84K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$13K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2003

Snow

$16K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
2001

Snow

$7K to the Town of Petersham for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Petersham

Petersham and the towns around it

New Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingHardwick: Low, mostly inland floodingWare: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingAthol: High, mostly inland floodingPelham: Low, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingShutesbury: Low, mostly inland floodingWendell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland floodingNew Braintree: Low, mostly inland floodingPalmer Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Brookfield: High, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingTempleton: Low, mostly inland floodingRoyalston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland flooding PetershamNew SalemHardwickWarePhillipstonAthol
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Atholmostly inland floodingHigh
Waremostly inland floodingModerate
New Salemmostly inland floodingLow
Hardwickmostly inland floodingLow
Phillipstonmostly inland floodingLow
Petershammostly 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. Petersham covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Petersham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Petersham. 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 Petersham total about $256K 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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