Berkshire County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Berkshire County: 7.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 3, 1997Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed Berkshire County during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated four tornadoes. The Richmond F1 tornado is a continuation of the F2 tornado which occurred in Columbia County. This tornado downed trees and produced minor damage to one house as it diminished in the Richmond area. The tornado in the Town of Florida began at the intersection of South County Road and Savoy Road. The F1 tornado tracked eastward and terminated just south of Florida near state route 2. The tornado removed all the shingles off the roof of a residence and a prefabricated steeple was blown off a church. Many trees were also downed along its path. The…

2. Jul 3, 1997Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed Berkshire County during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated four tornadoes. The Richmond F1 tornado is a continuation of the F2 tornado which occurred in Columbia County. This tornado downed trees and produced minor damage to one house as it diminished in the Richmond area. The tornado in the Town of Florida began at the intersection of South County Road and Savoy Road. The F1 tornado tracked eastward and terminated just south of Florida near state route 2. The tornado removed all the shingles off the roof of a residence and a prefabricated steeple was blown off a church. Many trees were also downed along its path. The…

3. Jul 10, 2023Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall caused flooding of roads, homes and other crucial pieces of infrastructure throughout the City of North Adams. City Mayor Jennifer Macksey reported approximately 10 to 15 roads washed out with debris coming down the mountainside. Road collapses occurred across portions of Chruch Street, State Street and Brooklyn Street. Estimated cost of repairs was $1.5 million.

4. Mar 31, 1997Winter Storm, Berkshire$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On March 31 and April 1, a classic late season nor'easter tracked from the Chesapeake Bay area northeast to central coastal New Jersey then slowly out to sea. This system produced rain across Berkshire County during the morning hours of March 31. The rain changed to heavy wet snow by early afternoon. Snowfall amounts were highly elevation dependent with up to 30 inches in the highest peaks of the Berkshires. Some specific snowfall totals included: 8 inches at Great Barrington, 12 inches at North Adams, 23 inches at Dalton, 21 inches at Monterey and 20 inches at Lenoxdale. The wet snow brought down many trees and power lines causing widespread power outages and road closures. Some…

5. Jan 19, 1996Flood, Northern Berkshire$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense area of low pressure which was located over the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday morning January 19th produced unseasonably warm temperatures, high dewpoints and strong winds. This resulted in rapid melting of one to three feet of snow. In addition to the rapid snowmelt one to three inches of rain fell as the system moved northeast along the coast. This resulted in the flooding of many small streams across Berkshire County. The Green River also flooded which washed out some side roads and the Williams River flooded some farmland.

6. Jul 27, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An estimated one thousand or more trees and branches were snapped or uprooted around the Mass Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, north of of the Town of Lenox. Damage was also observed along the trails as well as a window breaking in the office. Preliminary damage estimates were up to $500,000.

7. Jul 28, 2014Flash Flood$277,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms heavily damaged a 1.5 mile stretch of the Berry Pond Circuit Road in the Pittsfield State Forest in Pittsfield. As a result of the flash flooding, 13 popular campsites at Berry Pond had to be closed for the remainder of the summer season due to the damaged access road. A local newspaper reported that when the flash flooding occurred, campers had to be evacuated before water cascading down the mountain gouged out the paved road. The damage to the road and eleven stone culverts was estimated to be significant and will cost between $173,000 and $277,000 to repair.

8. Sep 16, 1999Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The remnants of Hurricane Floyd moved up the eastern seaboard on September 16 and during the early hours on September 17. The storm brought both high winds and heavy rainfall to the western Berkshires. A large swath of 2 to 5 inch rainfall was observed. Specific rainfall amounts included 2.76 inches at Dalton, 3.56 at Lenoxdale, 4.86 at Florida and 5.22 at West Otis.The rain produced significant flooding across the region which proved destructive. Flooding was noted on the Housatonic at Great Barrington as it crested at nine feet, more than five feet above flood stage there. In addition, rains flooded many roadways. Winds from the passage of Floyd were estimated as high as 60 mph,…

9. Aug 7, 2008Lightning$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lightning struck a barn at the Bonnie Lea Farm in Williamstown at approximately 1630 LST. The lightning then spewed from a circuit box, igniting a nearby bale of hay, which then spread through the barn.||In addition to significant structural damage to the barn, three to four thousand bales of hay, a horse trailer and equipment, and several all-terrain vehicles were also destroyed.||No injuries were reported.

10. Sep 9, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$180,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team found straight line wind damage in North Adams. Most of the damage was confined to a one half mile, by two block area on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.||Significant roof damage occurred to three college dormitories, mostly from tin flashing that was torn off due to the strong winds. In addition, several trees and large tree limbs were also downed, one of which smashed a car in the parking lot near the alumni office on Montana Street. Approximately 400 students were evacuated due to the damage.||The damage was consistent with maximum wind speeds of near 100 MPH.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

101°FJul 23, 1926

All-time low

−26°F2 times, most recently Feb 16, 1943

Warmest night

76°F3 times, most recently Aug 19, 1935

Coldest day

−4°FDec 21, 1942

Wettest day

7.23 inOct 8, 2005

Snowiest day

14.3 inFeb 16, 1964

Hottest year

1999mean 49.2°F

Coldest year

1943mean 43.6°F

Wettest year

200855.41 in

Driest year

196428.58 in

Station Pittsfield Municipal Airport (USW00014763), 1,152 ft elevation, 4.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1925 to October 26, 2026; 92.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00014763.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.