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Natural hazards · Bernardston

Bernardston, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bernardston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bernardston?

46
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bernardston to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Cold waves9%Hurricanes7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Bernardston faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bernardston flood?

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

1paid claims since 2011
$237Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20112026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $237K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bernardston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.
Disasters that hit Bernardston

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BernardstonDeclared for Franklin County only
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

4 households applied for aid $288 aid approved $55K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$57K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $655 aid approved $56K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$8K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2003

Snow

$4K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
2001

Snow

$4K to the Town of Bernardston for repairs
Franklin County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Bernardston

Bernardston and the towns around it

Leyden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreenfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingColrain: High, mostly inland floodingGuilford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: Low, mostly inland floodingMontague: Moderate, mostly inland floodingShelburne: High, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: Low, mostly inland floodingErving: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBernardston: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BernardstonLeydenGreenfieldGill
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Bernardstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Leydenmostly inland floodingModerate
Gillmostly inland floodingModerate
Greenfieldmostly 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. Bernardston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bernardston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bernardston. 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 Bernardston 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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