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Natural hazards · Monterey

Monterey, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monterey comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1984. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Monterey?

53
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monterey to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Hurricanes7%Cold waves6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Monterey faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% 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 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Monterey flood?

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

17paid claims since 1984
$698Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 9 claims, $458K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $72K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Monterey 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 Monterey

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontereyDeclared for Berkshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

19 households applied for aid $27K aid approved $111K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$19K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$60K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$43K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $164K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$12K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2003

Snow

$14K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
2001

Snow

$7K to the Town of Monterey for repairs
Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Monterey

Monterey and the towns around it

New Marlborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSandisfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTyringham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreat Barrington: High, mostly inland floodingOtis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSheffield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTolland: High, mostly inland floodingLee: High, mostly inland floodingBecket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEgremont: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStockbridge: High, mostly inland floodingWest Stockbridge: High, mostly inland floodingMonterey: Moderate, mostly inland flooding MontereyNew MarlboroughSandisfieldTyringhamGreat BarringtonOtis
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Great Barringtonmostly inland floodingHigh
New Marlboroughmostly inland floodingModerate
Montereymostly inland floodingModerate
Sandisfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Tyringhammostly inland floodingModerate
Otismostly 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. Monterey covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Monterey’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Monterey. 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 Monterey total about $498K 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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