Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Plainfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Plainfield flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Plainfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hampshire County.

Disasters that hit Plainfield

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Hampshire County only

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$7K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$30K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$93K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$7K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$54K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$7K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2003

Snow

$10K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

2001

Snow

$4K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs

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

Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hawleymostly inland floodingHigh

Plainfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Cummingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Ashfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Windsormostly inland floodingLow

Savoymostly 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. Plainfield 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 Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Plainfield. 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.