Worcester County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Worcester County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.5 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, strong wind, hurricane. Its storm record holds 1,925 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 98.6 | $3.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.8 | $4.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.6 | $37M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.3 | $90M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.8 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.4 | $9.9M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $109K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $3.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.2 | $5.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $925K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $704K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 64.4 | $122K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.3 | $5.6M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 62.6 | $116K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 671 | 4 | $25M | 10th of 12 | 1630th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 305 | 1 | $43M | 12th of 12 | 1220th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 278 | 2 | $2.4M | 12th of 12 | 295th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 256 | 0 | $177K | 8th of 12 | 1882nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 213 | 0 | $18M | 11th of 12 | 1079th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 75 | 0 | $4.0M | 9th of 12 | 132nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 52 | 92 | $2.8B | 3rd of 12 | 1816th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 22 | 0 | – | 11th of 12 | 2037th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 0 | – | 11th of 12 | 796th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 6th of 12 | 1685th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | – | 5th of 12 | 2244th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $1.1M | 11th of 12 | 860th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 5th of 12 | 1209th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Worcester County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.