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Natural hazards · Russell

Russell, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Russell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Russell?

63
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Russell to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes10%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Russell 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 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 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 Russell flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979
$2Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $2K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Russell 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 Russell

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RussellDeclared for Hampden County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$59K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$13K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$7K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$44K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$25K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$5K to the Town of Russell for repairs
2003

Snow

$10K to the Town of Russell for repairs
Hampden County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Russell

Russell and the towns around it

Westfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingMontgomery: High, mostly inland floodingBlandford: High, mostly inland floodingGranville: High, mostly inland floodingHuntington: Very high, mostly inland floodingWest Springfield Town: Low, mostly inland floodingAgawam Town: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingHolyoke: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland floodingTolland: High, mostly inland floodingHartland: Low, mostly inland floodingChesterfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWorthington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRussell: High, mostly inland flooding RussellWestfieldMontgomeryBlandfordGranvilleHuntington
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Huntingtonmostly inland floodingVery high
Westfieldmostly inland floodingVery high
Blandfordmostly inland floodingHigh
Russellmostly inland floodingHigh
Montgomerymostly inland floodingHigh
Granvillemostly inland floodingHigh
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. Russell covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Russell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Russell. 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 Russell total about $1.3M 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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