Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Alford
Alford isn’t graded for hazard risk: Alford has 433 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1996.
What Alford faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Alford flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1996
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Alford, from FEMA’s records.
Alford 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.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Alford
Disasters that paid out in Alford itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Alford), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding$8K to the Town of Alford for repairs
- 2011Severe Storm and Snowstorm$8K to the Town of Alford for repairs
- 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$9K to the Town of Alford for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
- 2005Record And/or Near Record Snow$3K to the Town of Alford for repairs
- 2003Snow$3K to the Town of Alford for repairs
Show all 8
- 2003Snow$4K to the Town of Alford for repairs
- 2001Snow$4K to the Town of Alford for repairs
Berkshire County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Alford after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Alford archive →Alford and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egremont | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Great Barrington | Cmore damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
| West Stockbridge | Cmore damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Alford faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Alford
Does Alford flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Alford since 1996, $2K in all.
Is Alford in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Berkshire County, 0.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Alford?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Alford’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Alford?
By FEMA money that reached Alford, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (2011): $9K to the Town of Alford for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Alford.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Alford’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.