WORCESTER, MA — Worcester has received a $900,000 state grant to finish a citywide flood model that officials say will help identify where flooding poses the greatest risk and guide future investments.
The award will fund the final phase of the city’s Integrated Flood Model, the design of one priority nature-based project and another round of stormwater education at four elementary schools, according to a Sept. 23 city announcement. The work is expected to begin in early fall and conclude in June 2027. City of Worcester
The grant does not announce construction of a new flood-control project. The city says this phase will refine its model using additional drainage information, monitoring results and records of past floods. It will then assess risks under different climate scenarios, including potential effects on environmental justice communities, critical infrastructure and community assets. The city has not identified the location of the nature-based project to be designed.
For residents who have dealt with flooded streets or property, the practical question is where the city will focus first. Worcester Chief Sustainability Officer John Odell said the completed model will help officials make decisions about development and where to invest in green and conventional infrastructure.
“Once complete, the flood model will let us make evidence-driven decisions about development and about where to invest in green and gray infrastructure improvements citywide,” Odell said in the city’s announcement.
The new award builds on two earlier phases. A grant covering work from 2023 to 2025 funded a Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Master Plan. Another, covering 2025 to 2026, advanced the integrated model by bringing together information on stormwater, drainage, combined sewers and waterways, the city said.
Worcester’s Department of Sustainability and Resilience and Department of Public Works will carry out the latest phase. The money comes through the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, which funds local climate resilience planning and projects.
The city has not said when residents will be able to review the model’s findings, which site will be selected for design, or how the public can weigh in on the priorities it identifies.
W.U.W. Verification Box
- Project / Topic: Worcester’s Integrated Flood Model and flood resilience planning.
- Current Status: The city announced a $900,000 state grant for the project’s final phase.
- Key Dates or Decisions: The city announced the award Sept. 23, 2026.
- Estimated Cost: The announced grant is $900,000. The city did not provide a total cost for all phases.
- Timeline: Work is expected to begin in early fall 2026 and end in June 2027.
- Immediate Next Steps: The city plans to refine and validate the model, assess flood risks, design a priority nature-based project and conduct stormwater education.
- Primary Sources: City of Worcester grant announcement and the state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program.
- What We Do Not Yet Know: The city has not identified the project design site, a date for releasing the model’s findings, or a public participation process.
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