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Natural hazards · West Brookfield

West Brookfield, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Brookfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1987. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is West Brookfield?

61
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Brookfield to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Hurricanes13%Everything else14%
By hazard

What West Brookfield 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 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 8 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 West Brookfield flood?

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

2paid claims since 1987
$5Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $1K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. West Brookfield 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 Brookfield

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West BrookfieldDeclared for Worcester County only
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$23K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$27K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$42K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$5K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$20K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$13K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2003

Snow

$18K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
2001

Snow

$9K to the Town of West Brookfield for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around West Brookfield

West Brookfield and the towns around it

Warren: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWare: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Braintree: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Brookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPalmer Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrimfield: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Brookfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSturbridge: Low, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland floodingHardwick: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Brookfield: High, mostly inland flooding West BrookfieldWarrenBrookfieldWareNew BraintreeNorth Brookfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
West Brookfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Brookfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Waremostly inland floodingModerate
North Brookfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Warrenmostly inland floodingLow
New Braintreemostly 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. West Brookfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Brookfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of West Brookfield. 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 Brookfield total about $1.3M 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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