Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2005. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Hurricanes8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chester flood?

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

9paid claims since 2005

$57Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20052026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $17K

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. Chester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hampden County.

Disasters that hit Chester

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Hampden County only

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$103K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$142K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$235K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $73K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$7K to the Town of Chester for repairs

2003

Snow

$13K to the Town of Chester for repairs

Hampden County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Huntingtonmostly inland floodingVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Blandfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Middlefieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Worthingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Becketmostly 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. Chester is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chester. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.