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Natural hazards · Westminster

Westminster, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westminster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1987. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Westminster?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

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

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

What Westminster 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
Well below average · higher than 18% 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 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 Westminster flood?

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

4paid claims since 1987
$8Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $1K

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. Westminster 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 Westminster

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestminsterDeclared for Worcester County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $53K aid approved
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved
2004

Flooding

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Westminster

Westminster and the towns around it

Ashburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Very low, mostly inland floodingGardner: Very low, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLeominster: Low, mostly inland floodingLunenburg: Very low, mostly inland floodingSterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingRutland: Very low, mostly inland floodingHolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingTempleton: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland flooding WestminsterAshburnhamFitchburgPrincetonGardnerHubbardston
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fitchburgmostly inland floodingModerate
Ashburnhammostly inland floodingLow
Gardnermostly inland floodingVery low
Westminstermostly inland floodingVery low
Princetonmostly inland floodingVery low
Hubbardstonmostly 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. Westminster covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westminster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Westminster. 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 Westminster total about $1.6M 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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