Natural hazards · Peru

Peru, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peru comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peru?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peru to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes9%Cold waves9%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Peru 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 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Peru flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Peru.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Peru 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 Peru

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PeruDeclared for Berkshire County only

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$10K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $77K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$238K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$33K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$8K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2003

Snow

$8K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2001

Snow

$3K to the Town of Peru for repairs

Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Peru

Peru and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Middlefieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Worthingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Cummingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Perumostly inland floodingLow

Hinsdalemostly 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. Peru is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Peru’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Peru. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.