TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
PrincetonGood afternoon
Natural hazards · Princeton

Princeton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Princeton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Princeton?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Princeton to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding58%Hurricanes20%Cold waves7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Princeton faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years 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 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 Princeton flood?

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

1paid claims since 1979
$7Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Princeton 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 Princeton

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PrincetonDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $112K aid approved
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$1K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $24K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$2.9M to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$21K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2003

Snow

$31K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
2001

Snow

$16K to the Town of Princeton for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Princeton

Princeton and the towns around it

Sterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingLeominster: Low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Very low, mostly hurricanesLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingAshburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGardner: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingPaxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingOakham: Low, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland flooding PrincetonSterlingWestminsterHubbardstonLeominsterRutlandHolden
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Leominstermostly inland floodingLow
Princetonmostly inland floodingVery low
Sterlingmostly inland floodingVery low
Westminstermostly inland floodingVery low
Holdenmostly inland floodingVery low
Hubbardstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Rutlandmostly 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. Princeton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Princeton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Princeton. 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 Princeton total about $711K 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Princeton, MAWorcester CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Princeton is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map