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Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, MA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Washington?

52
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Hurricanes8%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Washington flood?

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Washington 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 Washington

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Berkshire County only
2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2011

Severe Storm and Snowstorm

$8K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

3 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $25K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$9K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$116K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$231K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$8K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2003

Snow

$7K to the Town of Washington for repairs
2001

Snow

$4K to the Town of Washington for repairs
Berkshire County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Lenox: Very low, mostly inland floodingHinsdale: Low, mostly inland floodingLee: High, mostly inland floodingBecket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDalton: High, mostly inland floodingPeru: Low, mostly inland floodingMiddlefield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPittsfield: High, mostly inland floodingRichmond: Low, mostly inland floodingStockbridge: High, mostly inland floodingTyringham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOtis: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland floodingWindsor: Low, mostly inland floodingCheshire: High, mostly inland floodingWorthington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCummington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHancock: Low, mostly inland floodingLanesborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WashingtonLenoxHinsdaleLeeBecketDaltonPeruMiddlefieldPittsfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Leemostly inland floodingHigh
Daltonmostly inland floodingHigh
Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Middlefieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Becketmostly inland floodingModerate
Hinsdalemostly inland floodingLow
Perumostly inland floodingLow
Lenoxmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Washington 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 Washington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Washington. 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.

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You’re in Washington, MABerkshire CountyView boundary

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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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