Berkshire County, Massachusetts severe weather history spans 1,004 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #140 nationally and #3 in Massachusetts.
1,004
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
70
Direct injuries
$32.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Berkshire County, Massachusetts severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Berkshire County, Massachusetts severe weather history averages 14.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 319 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 91 events fall before 1990 and 913 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Berkshire County, Massachusetts record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $28.5M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Berkshire County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 653 | 3 | $1.4M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 177 | 0 | $72K | 4 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 108 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 28 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 2007–2023 |
| Tornado | 19 | 7 | $28.5M | F4 | 1955–2020 |
| Lightning | 16 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2018 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Berkshire County, Massachusetts severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-08-28 | EF4 | 4 | 36 | 9.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-29 | EF4 | 3 | 24 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-07-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-08-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1966-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-07-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-07-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Berkshire County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1973 | Tornado | 4 | 36 | $25.0M | |
| May 29, 1995 | Tornado | N. Egremont | 3 | 24 | $250 |
| Jul 12, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | WEST STOCKBRIDGE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 7, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | GREAT BARRINGTON ARP | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Otis | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | LENOX | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | Lightning | GREAT BARRINGTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | LENOX | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lenox Police reported that a 56 year old man was killed when a large tree came down in the travel line onto his pickup truck at the intersection of Route 7 and Old Stockbridge Road. Report was obtained via a local newspaper.
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.
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.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
129,430
Population (ACS)
$305K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LEE | EM |
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 19, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Jan 6, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Pittsfield 145
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?
1,004 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths and $32.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Berkshire County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 653 recorded events — 65.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Berkshire County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Berkshire County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Berkshire County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Berkshire County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Berkshire County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Berkshire County, Massachusetts severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Barnstable County 269
- Bristol County 521
- Dukes County 51
- Essex County 663
- Franklin County 702
- Hampden County 910
Cite this page
“Berkshire County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/berkshire-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.