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Natural hazards · Winchendon

Winchendon, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winchendon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1987. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Winchendon?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winchendon to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes14%Cold waves8%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Winchendon faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 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

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 Winchendon flood?

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

1paid claims since 1987
$420paid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Winchendon 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 Winchendon

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinchendonDeclared for Worcester County only
2018

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$32K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$32K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$40K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

$3K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$132K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $772 aid approved
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$38K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2003

Snow

$41K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
2001

Snow

$16K to the Town of Winchendon for repairs
Worcester County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Winchendon

Winchendon and the towns around it

Gardner: Very low, mostly inland floodingRoyalston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTempleton: Low, mostly inland floodingRindge: Low, mostly inland floodingAshburnham: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Very low, mostly inland floodingHubbardston: Very low, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland floodingAthol: High, mostly inland floodingPhillipston: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Ipswich: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJaffrey: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFitzwilliam: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAshby: Very low, mostly inland floodingFitchburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinchendon: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WinchendonGardnerRoyalstonTempletonRindgeAshburnham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Royalstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Winchendonmostly inland floodingModerate
Rindgemostly inland floodingLow
Ashburnhammostly inland floodingLow
Templetonmostly inland floodingLow
Gardnermostly 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. Winchendon covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winchendon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Winchendon. 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 Winchendon total about $1.9M 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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