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Natural hazards · Spencer

Spencer, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Spencer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Spencer?

24
Low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding56%Hurricanes20%Cold waves7%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Spencer faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Spencer flood?

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

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

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpencerDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $21K aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$52K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$74K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$17K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$517K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $36K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$34K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $343 aid approved
2003

Snow

$47K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2001

Snow

$21K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Spencer

Spencer and the towns around it

Paxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingOakham: Low, mostly inland floodingCharlton: Low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingLeicester: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthbridge Town: High, mostly inland floodingOxford: Low, mostly inland floodingSturbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Brookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpencer: Low, mostly inland flooding SpencerPaxtonOakhamCharlton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Charltonmostly inland floodingLow
Spencermostly inland floodingLow
Oakhammostly inland floodingLow
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. Spencer covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Spencer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Spencer. 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 Spencer total about $2.3M 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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