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Natural hazards · Holyoke

Holyoke, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Holyoke comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Holyoke?

35
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Holyoke to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes12%Earthquakes5%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Holyoke 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 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Holyoke flood?

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

10paid claims since 1978
$184Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $5K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $19K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $6K

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. Holyoke 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 Holyoke

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HolyokeDeclared for Hampden County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$93K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$2.5M to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$21K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$91K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $12K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$76K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
2003

Snow

$90K to the City of Holyoke for repairs
Hampden County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Holyoke

Holyoke and the towns around it

South Hadley: Low, mostly inland floodingChicopee: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingEasthampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Springfield Town: Low, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingGranby: Low, mostly inland floodingHadley: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst Town: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Low, mostly inland floodingLudlow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontgomery: High, mostly inland floodingWesthampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHuntington: Very high, mostly inland floodingNorthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingAgawam Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRussell: High, mostly inland floodingGranville: High, mostly inland floodingSouthwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHolyoke: Low, mostly inland flooding HolyokeSouth HadleyChicopeeSouthamptonEasthamptonWest Springfield TownWestfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Westfieldmostly inland floodingVery high
Easthamptonmostly inland floodingModerate
West Springfield Townmostly inland floodingLow
Holyokemostly inland floodingLow
Southamptonmostly 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. Holyoke covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Holyoke’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Holyoke. 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 Holyoke 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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