Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Hawley
Hawley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hawley has 277 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
What Hawley 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
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 Hawley flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hawley, from FEMA’s records.
Hawley 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.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hawley
Disasters that paid out in Hawley itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Hawley), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding$6K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2011Severe Storm and Snowstorm$5K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene17 households applied for aid$21K aid approved$1.5M to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2008Severe Winter Storm and Flooding$191K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding$27K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$258 aid approved$48K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
Show all 10
- 2005Record And/or Near Record Snow$7K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2003Snow$5K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2003Snow$5K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
- 2001Snow$6K to the Town of Hawley for repairs
Franklin County has had 16 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 Hawley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hawley archive →Hawley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlemont | C−more damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Plainfield | — | 616 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Hawley 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.
- 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 Hawley
Does Hawley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Hawley since 2011, $1K in all.
Is Hawley 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 Franklin County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Hawley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hawley’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 Hawley?
By FEMA money that reached Hawley, Tropical Storm Irene (2011): 17 households applied for aid, $21K approved, and $1.5M to the Town of Hawley for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hawley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hawley’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.