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Natural hazards · Becket

Becket, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Becket comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2005. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Becket?

52
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Becket to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Hurricanes8%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Becket faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Becket flood?

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

4paid claims since 2005
$47Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20052026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Becket isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Berkshire County.
Disasters that hit Becket

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BecketDeclared for Berkshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$13K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

28 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $352K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$388K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$71K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $141K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$9K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2003

Snow

$12K to the Town of Becket for repairs
2001

Snow

$6K to the Town of Becket for repairs
Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Becket

Becket and the towns around it

Middlefield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOtis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTyringham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLee: High, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland floodingWorthington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeru: Low, mostly inland floodingTolland: High, mostly inland floodingSandisfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMonterey: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLenox: Very low, mostly inland floodingHinsdale: Low, mostly inland floodingDalton: High, mostly inland floodingPittsfield: High, mostly inland floodingStockbridge: High, mostly inland floodingHuntington: Very high, mostly inland floodingBlandford: High, mostly inland floodingBecket: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BecketMiddlefieldOtisWashingtonTyringhamLeeChester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Chestermostly inland floodingHigh
Leemostly inland floodingHigh
Middlefieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Otismostly inland floodingModerate
Tyringhammostly inland floodingModerate
Becketmostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Becket covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Becket’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Becket. 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 Becket total about $908K 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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