Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in Pittsfield
Pittsfield isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pittsfield has 391 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1982.
What Pittsfield 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 Pittsfield flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pittsfield, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene4 claims · $191K
Pittsfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rutland County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pittsfield
Disasters that paid out in Pittsfield itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Pittsfield), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
- 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$392K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene80 households applied for aid$253K aid approved$956K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $191K
- 2001Snow$1K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$13K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs
Rutland County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Pittsfield after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pittsfield archive →Pittsfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killington | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Chittenden | Bless damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Rochester | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Stockbridge | — | 791 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 Pittsfield 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 Pittsfield
Does Pittsfield flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Pittsfield since 1982, $191K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (4).
Is Pittsfield 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 Rutland County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pittsfield?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pittsfield’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 Pittsfield?
By FEMA money that reached Pittsfield, Tropical Storm Irene (2011): 80 households applied for aid, $253K approved, and $956K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 4 paid, $191K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pittsfield.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pittsfield’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.