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Natural hazards · Dalton

Dalton, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dalton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1980. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dalton?

66
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dalton to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Hurricanes6%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Dalton 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 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% 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 weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Dalton flood?

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

10paid claims since 1980
$47Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dalton 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 Dalton

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DaltonDeclared for Berkshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

19 households applied for aid $28K aid approved $19K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $10K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$18K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2003

Snow

$31K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
2001

Snow

$9K to the Town of Dalton for repairs
Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Dalton

Dalton and the towns around it

Pittsfield: High, mostly inland floodingHinsdale: Low, mostly inland floodingWindsor: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCheshire: High, mostly inland floodingHancock: Low, mostly inland floodingLanesborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeru: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCummington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLenox: Very low, mostly inland floodingLee: High, mostly inland floodingBecket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlefield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Ashford: Low, mostly inland floodingSavoy: Low, mostly inland floodingDalton: High, mostly inland flooding DaltonPittsfieldHinsdaleWindsorWashingtonCheshire
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Cheshiremostly inland floodingHigh
Daltonmostly inland floodingHigh
Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Hinsdalemostly inland floodingLow
Windsormostly 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. Dalton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dalton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dalton. 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 Dalton total about $2.7M 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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