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Natural hazards · Berkley

Berkley, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berkley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1996. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Berkley?

23
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berkley to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes12%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Berkley faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berkley flood?

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

7paid claims since 1996
$60Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 3 claims, $30K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Berkley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bristol County.
Disasters that hit Berkley

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerkleyDeclared for Bristol County only
2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$38K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$44K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$13K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$10K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

102 households applied for aid $291K aid approved $19K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $839 aid approved $7K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$47K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
2003

Snow

$35K to the Town of Berkley for repairs
Bristol County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Berkley

Berkley and the towns around it

Freetown: Low, mostly inland floodingDighton: Low, mostly inland floodingTaunton: Low, mostly inland floodingSomerset: Very low, mostly inland floodingAcushnet: Very low, mostly inland floodingFall River: Low, mostly inland floodingLakeville: Low, mostly inland floodingSwansea: Very low, mostly inland floodingRaynham: Low, mostly inland floodingMiddleborough: Low, mostly inland floodingNorton: Low, mostly inland floodingRehoboth: Low, mostly inland floodingBerkley: Low, mostly inland flooding BerkleyFreetownDightonTauntonSomerset
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Tauntonmostly inland floodingLow
Freetownmostly inland floodingLow
Berkleymostly inland floodingLow
Dightonmostly inland floodingLow
Somersetmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Berkley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berkley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Berkley. 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 Berkley total about $1.1M 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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