Berkshire County, Massachusetts: hazard risk
FEMA rates Berkshire County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.0 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,812 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $41M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 83.6 | $3.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 | $293K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $2.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 68.5 | $469K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 82.5 | $22K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.1 | $921K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 58.4 | $86K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.7 | $291K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 48.8 | $1.2M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 66.2 | $3K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 34.9 | $177K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.2 | $11K |
| Drought | Very Low | 22.2 | $7K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 660 | 4 | $2.3M | 5th of 12 | 826th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 415 | 0 | $2.2M | 5th of 12 | 466th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 177 | 0 | $128K | 5th of 12 | 1485th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 175 | 0 | $656K | 10th of 12 | 260th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 153 | 0 | $4.3M | 10th of 12 | 959th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 131 | 0 | – | 1st of 12 | 262nd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 42 | 0 | – | 3rd of 12 | 860th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 7 | $174M | 8th of 12 | 2135th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 16 | 0 | $347K | 11th of 12 | 452nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 12th of 12 | 2091st of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | $71K | 1st of 12 | 484th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | – | 12th of 12 | 905th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 12th of 12 | 1880th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 2nd of 12 | 335th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Berkshire County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.