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Natural hazards · Deerfield

Deerfield, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Deerfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 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 Deerfield?

34
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Deerfield to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes11%Cold waves6%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Deerfield faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Deerfield flood?

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

10paid claims since 1979
$150Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $90K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Deerfield 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 Deerfield

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DeerfieldDeclared for Franklin County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$22K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$45K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

22 households applied for aid $89K aid approved $53K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$21K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$7K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $96K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$16K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2003

Snow

$22K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
2001

Snow

$10K to the Town of Deerfield for repairs
Franklin County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Deerfield

Deerfield and the towns around it

Greenfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontague: Moderate, mostly inland floodingConway: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSunderland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWhately: Moderate, mostly inland floodingShelburne: High, mostly inland floodingGill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBernardston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLeyden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingErving: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWendell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGoshen: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBuckland: High, mostly inland floodingLeverett: Low, mostly inland floodingHatfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilliamsburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCharlemont: High, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: Low, mostly inland flooding DeerfieldGreenfieldMontagueConwaySunderlandWhatelyShelburne
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Shelburnemostly inland floodingHigh
Sunderlandmostly inland floodingModerate
Whatelymostly inland floodingModerate
Conwaymostly inland floodingModerate
Greenfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Montaguemostly inland floodingModerate
Deerfieldmostly 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. Deerfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Deerfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Deerfield. 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 Deerfield total about $2.0M 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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