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Natural hazards · West Boylston

West Boylston, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Boylston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2007. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is West Boylston?

13
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Boylston to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes28%Cold waves8%Earthquakes7%Everything else13%
By hazard

What West Boylston faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 West Boylston flood?

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

4paid claims since 2007
$52Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20072026

Biggest named events

  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $42K

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. West Boylston 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 West Boylston

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West BoylstonDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $750 aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$42K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$44K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$50K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$2K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$395K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $4K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$25K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2003

Snow

$32K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
2001

Snow

$17K to the Town of West Boylston for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around West Boylston

West Boylston and the towns around it

Boylston: Very low, mostly inland floodingSterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingShrewsbury: Very low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Very low, mostly hurricanesNorthborough: Low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Low, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingLancaster: Low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: Low, mostly inland floodingWestborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingPaxton: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingAuburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingMillbury: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Boylston: Very low, mostly inland flooding West BoylstonBoylstonSterlingShrewsburyHoldenWorcester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Worcestermostly inland floodingLow
Sterlingmostly inland floodingVery low
Holdenmostly inland floodingVery low
Boylstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Shrewsburymostly inland floodingVery low
West Boylstonmostly 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. West Boylston covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Boylston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of West Boylston. 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 West Boylston total about $1.4M 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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