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Natural hazards · Chicopee

Chicopee, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chicopee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1982. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Chicopee?

28
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chicopee to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes7%Cold waves6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Chicopee faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chicopee flood?

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

2paid claims since 1982
$1Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $548
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Chicopee 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 Chicopee

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChicopeeDeclared for Hampden County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$178K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$4.3M to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$21K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

10 households applied for aid $11K aid approved
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$148K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$2K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $17K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$93K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
2003

Snow

$142K to the City of Chicopee for repairs
Hampden County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Chicopee

Chicopee and the towns around it

Holyoke: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Springfield Town: Low, mostly inland floodingLudlow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Hadley: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingEasthampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingAgawam Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Longmeadow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLongmeadow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilbraham: Low, mostly inland floodingGranby: Low, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingHadley: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst Town: Low, mostly inland floodingChicopee: Low, mostly inland flooding ChicopeeHolyokeSpringfieldWest Springfield TownLudlowSouth Hadley
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ludlowmostly inland floodingModerate
Springfieldmostly inland floodingLow
West Springfield Townmostly inland floodingLow
Holyokemostly inland floodingLow
South Hadleymostly inland floodingLow
Chicopeemostly 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. Chicopee covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chicopee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chicopee. 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 Chicopee total about $8.5M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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