119
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$9.3M
Property damage
Flood in Worcester County, Massachusetts: 119 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #40 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Worcester County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Worcester County is the 2010s, when 60 of the county's 119 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Worcester County archive, flood makes up 9.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #40 for this hazard and #2 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 98.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flood in Worcester County with 31 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2024 | GLOBE VLG | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 10, 2024 | EAST MILLBURY | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 11, 2023 | LEOMINSTER | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | SHREWSBURY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | FISHERVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | OXFORD | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | MILLBURY | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | MT ST JAMES | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | WORCESTER | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | HOLDEN | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Worcester County
- Thunderstorm Wind 660
- Hail 255
- Flash Flood 78
- Lightning 75
- Tornado 52
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three to seven inches of rain fell across portions of Worcester County, resulting in the Blackstone River at Northbridge rising to minor flood. The Nashua River at Clinton also rose above flood stage. Several roads and basements flooded in Leominster, Fitchburg, Lancaster, Milford, Mendon, Blackstone, Northbridge, and Shrewsbury. Reduced speed limits were imposed on the rail line between Framingham and Worcester.||Clinton experienced substantial flooding two weeks prior to this event. The Nashua River at Clinton crested only four tenths of a foot lower than that event. However, because of the recent flooding, many preparations were made in advance of the rainfall. Roughly 10,000 sandbags were made and placed around Clinton with the help of the Massachusetts National Guard. This alleviated some of the damage that likely would have recurred with the three to six inches of rain that fell.
Major flooding occurred along the North Nashua River in Fitchburg. A crest of 8.6 feet was recorded at 530 am on the 16th (flood stage is 6.5 feet). This may have surpassed the previous record high crest which occurred in April, 2007. Widespread flooding was reported along the river in Fitcburg, where several roads were impassable. Minor flooding occurred along the Blackstone River in Northbridge, where the river crested at 10.3 feet at 315 pm on the 16th (flood stage is 9 feet).
The left lane of Route 146 north in Sutton was closed because of a sinkhole. Numerous vehicles were disabled by the flooding and sinkhole. In Shrewsbury, the left lane of I-290 eastbound was closed because of a sinkhole between exits 20 and 22.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
119 flood events are recorded in Worcester County between 1996 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Worcester County?
The strongest flood on record in Worcester County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Worcester County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flood in Worcester County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/worcester-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.