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Natural hazards · Sheffield

Sheffield, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sheffield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Sheffield?

44
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sheffield to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes11%Cold waves6%Strong wind5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Sheffield faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

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

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDroughtAvalanches

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 Sheffield flood?

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

7paid claims since 1979
$156Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $2K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Sheffield 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 Sheffield

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SheffieldDeclared for Berkshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

7 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $38K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$12K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$11K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$16K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$17K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2003

Snow

$25K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
2001

Snow

$13K to the Town of Sheffield for repairs
Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Sheffield

Sheffield and the towns around it

Egremont: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Washington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNew Marlborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalisbury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreat Barrington: High, mostly inland floodingAlford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMonterey: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSandisfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCanaan: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Canaan: High, mostly inland floodingSharon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth East: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSheffield: Moderate, mostly inland flooding SheffieldEgremontMount WashingtonNew MarlboroughSalisbury
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
New Marlboroughmostly inland floodingModerate
Salisburymostly inland floodingModerate
Egremontmostly inland floodingModerate
Mount Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Sheffieldmostly 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. Sheffield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sheffield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sheffield. 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 Sheffield total about $1.1M 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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