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Natural hazards · South Hadley

South Hadley, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Hadley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1984. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is South Hadley?

29
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Hadley to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes11%Cold waves5%Everything else20%
By hazard

What South Hadley faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 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

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 South Hadley flood?

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

17paid claims since 1984
$125Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $4K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $796

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. South Hadley 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 South Hadley

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into South HadleyDeclared for Hampshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$49K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$375K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$7K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$38K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $54K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$41K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2003

Snow

$53K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
2001

Snow

$22K to the Town of South Hadley for repairs
Hampshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around South Hadley

South Hadley and the towns around it

Holyoke: Low, mostly inland floodingGranby: Low, mostly inland floodingHadley: Low, mostly inland floodingAmherst Town: Low, mostly inland floodingChicopee: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingEasthampton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Springfield Town: Low, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Very high, mostly inland floodingLudlow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBelchertown: Low, mostly inland floodingHatfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorthampton: Low, mostly inland floodingPelham: Low, mostly inland floodingLeverett: Low, mostly inland floodingShutesbury: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Hadley: Low, mostly inland flooding South HadleyHolyokeGranbyHadleyAmherst TownChicopee
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Hadleymostly inland floodingLow
Holyokemostly inland floodingLow
South Hadleymostly inland floodingLow
Chicopeemostly inland floodingLow
Granbymostly 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. South Hadley covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Hadley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of South Hadley. 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 South Hadley total about $3.4M 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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