Natural hazards · Cheshire

Cheshire, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cheshire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cheshire?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cheshire to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Cold waves6%Hurricanes5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Cheshire faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Cheshire flood?

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

11paid claims since 1979

$50Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $275
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cheshire 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 Cheshire

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CheshireDeclared for Berkshire County only

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

6 households applied for aid $680 aid approved $26K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$16K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$48K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $69K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$16K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2003

Snow

$17K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

2001

Snow

$8K to the Town of Cheshire for repairs

Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Cheshire

Cheshire and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cheshiremostly inland floodingHigh

Daltonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lanesboroughmostly inland floodingModerate

New Ashfordmostly inland floodingLow

Windsormostly inland floodingLow

Savoymostly inland floodingLow

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. Cheshire covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cheshire’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cheshire. 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 Cheshire 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.