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Natural hazards · Royalston

Royalston, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Royalston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Royalston?

57
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Royalston to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Hurricanes12%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Royalston faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Royalston flood?

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

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

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RoyalstonDeclared for Worcester County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$19K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$25K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$4K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$315K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$17K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2003

Snow

$26K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
2001

Snow

$13K to the Town of Royalston for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Royalston

Royalston and the towns around it

Orange: High, mostly inland floodingAthol: High, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingTempleton: Low, mostly inland floodingWendell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingErving: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland floodingGardner: Very low, mostly inland floodingRindge: Low, mostly inland floodingAshburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingRoyalston: Moderate, mostly inland flooding RoyalstonOrangeAtholWinchendonPhillipstonTempleton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Orangemostly inland floodingHigh
Atholmostly inland floodingHigh
Royalstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Winchendonmostly inland floodingModerate
Phillipstonmostly inland floodingLow
Templetonmostly inland floodingLow
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. Royalston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Royalston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Royalston. 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 Royalston total about $355K 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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