Climate Risk Summary

Worcester, MA Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Worcester, MA are Inland Flooding, Hurricane, and Cold Wave. This area also faces an unusually high intensity for Ice Storm compared to national averages.

City-Wide Aggregation

These scores represent the population-weighted average across all residential blocks in Worcester.

Primary Risks

Inland Flooding

$15,156,790

Expected Annual Loss for Worcester

28.8Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Worcester
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Hurricane

$7,903,235

Expected Annual Loss for Worcester

82.6Score

Relatively Moderate compared to US average

Worcester
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Cold Wave

$2,214,343

Expected Annual Loss for Worcester

53.3Score

Relatively Moderate compared to US average

Worcester
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

City Boundary

Legend
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Extreme

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER
Inland Flooding
$15,156,790
Score: 28.8
MAJOR DRIVER
Hurricane
$7,903,235
Score: 82.6
MAJOR DRIVER
Cold Wave
$2,214,343
Score: 53.3
Strong Wind
$1,023,975
Score: 62.0
Earthquake
$1,029,597
Score: 44.2
Tornado
$985,440
Score: 34.1
Heat Wave
$926,124
Score: 35.4
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Ice Storm
$752,359
Score: 80.3
Lightning
$424,136
Score: 49.1
Hail
$208,722
Score: 45.3
Winter Weather
$25,402
Score: 27.2
Landslide
$3,088
Score: 68.9
Wildfire
$1,391
Score: 19.5

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

🌀High Investment

Hurricane Mitigation

Install permanent hurricane shutters or upgrade to impact-resistant windows.

Risk Score: 82.6
🏠Low Investment

Cold Wave Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 53.3
💨Low Investment

Strong Wind Mitigation

Trim large trees back from the roofline and reinforce roof-to-wall connectors (hurricane straps).

Risk Score: 62.0
❄️Medium Investment

Ice Storm Mitigation

Install a 10kWh backup battery system to keep pipes from freezing during grid failure.

Risk Score: 80.3
⛰️High Investment

Landslide Mitigation

Professional slope stabilization and foundation drainage inspection is highly recommended.

Risk Score: 68.9

Sources and Methodology

Spatial Aggregation

Our "Atlas" risk scores are derived using a population-weighted spatial join. Because US Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, a simple geographic average would be misleading. We utilize US Census Block Group population statistics to identify where residents actually live within a Zip Code. We then intersect these points with FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) hazard data to calculate a weighted exposure score.

Financial Projections (EAL)

Expected Annual Loss (EAL) estimates the average economic impact of natural hazards in dollars per year. This calculation incorporates three components: Exposure (the value of structures and agriculture), Annualized Frequency (historical probability), and Historic Loss Ratio (vulnerability of the area).

Primary Data Sources

  • FEMA National Risk IndexHazard frequency and loss data (v1.20.0)
  • U.S. Census BureauTIGER/Line 2025 Shapefiles & Decennial Population

Nearby Cities

ClintonNorthboroughOxfordRutlandSouth Lancaster

Zip Codes in Worcester

0154501583016020160301604016050160601607016080160901610