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Natural hazards · Shutesbury

Shutesbury, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shutesbury comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1996. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Shutesbury?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shutesbury to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves12%Hurricanes9%Strong wind6%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Shutesbury faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places
Recorded about once 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 Shutesbury flood?

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

3paid claims since 1996
$17Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $6K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Shutesbury isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.
Disasters that hit Shutesbury

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShutesburyDeclared for Franklin County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $14K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$71K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

$6K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$9K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2003

Snow

$13K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
2001

Snow

$7K to the Town of Shutesbury for repairs
Franklin County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Shutesbury

Shutesbury and the towns around it

New Salem: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst Town: Low, mostly inland floodingPetersham: Very low, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingWare: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWendell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAthol: High, mostly inland floodingOrange: High, mostly inland floodingGranby: Low, mostly inland floodingHadley: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Hadley: Low, mostly inland floodingLeverett: Low, mostly inland floodingShutesbury: Low, mostly inland flooding ShutesburyNew SalemPelhamAmherst Town
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Shutesburymostly inland floodingLow
New Salemmostly inland floodingLow
Pelhammostly inland floodingLow
Amherst Townmostly 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. Shutesbury covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shutesbury’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Shutesbury. 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 Shutesbury total about $825K 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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