Vermont Environment & Hazard Risk
0 counties rated high or very high risk. 10,389 storm events since 1996, #43 among states.
- Expected yearly loss
- $221M
- $344 per person
- Storm events since 1996
- 10,389
- Most often winter weather
- Flood insurance policies
- 2,848
- $118M in claims paid
- Superfund sites
- 14
- 36 toxic release facilities
Risk by county
FEMA National Risk Index rating, highest risk first
| County | Overall risk | Top hazard | Flood policies | Flood claims paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County | Low | Winter weather | 283 | $4M |
| Windsor County | Low | Landslide | 488 | $24.9M |
| Windham County | Low | Landslide | 269 | $10.9M |
| Bennington County | Low | Cold wave | 238 | $1.5M |
| Washington County | Low | Landslide | 557 | $49.8M |
| Rutland County | Low | Landslide | 245 | $4.8M |
| Orleans County | Very Low | Landslide | 50 | $2.6M |
| Caledonia County | Very Low | Landslide | 123 | $6.1M |
| Franklin County | Very Low | Landslide | 132 | $2.5M |
| Addison County | Very Low | Landslide | 123 | $1.6M |
| Orange County | Very Low | Landslide | 120 | $1.9M |
| Lamoille County | Very Low | Winter weather | 125 | $5.7M |
| Essex County | Very Low | Landslide | 17 | $350K |
| Grand Isle County | Very Low | Ice storm | 78 | $789K |
Storm events by type
Since 1996: 60 deaths, $1.8B in property and crop damage
- Winter Weather2,410 · 21 deaths
- Winter Storm2,103 · 6 deaths
- Thunderstorm Wind1,884 · 6 deaths
- Hail705
- Strong Wind678 · 3 deaths
- Flash Flood481 · 8 deaths
- Flood410 · 3 deaths
- High Wind408 · 2 deaths
- Cold/Wind Chill336 · 1 death
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill213
- Heavy Snow209 · 1 death
- Heat163 · 5 deaths
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 2017, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flash Flood07/11/2023
Montpelier Jct, Washington County
1 death, $100M damage
What happened
Three to seven inches of rain fell during the afternoon/evening of July 10 and into the morning hours on July 11. Severe flash flooding occurred, most notably in the Barre area where the Stevens and Jail Branches of the Winooski River were overwhelmed. A number of homes and businesses were damaged, especially along Route 302. A few landslides also occurred, causing damage.
- Flash Flood07/10/2023
Chester, Windsor County
1 death, $25M damage
What happened
Training showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall affected this area between the early morning and early to mid afternoon on July 10. Observations and radar estimates show 3 to 7 inches of rainfall occurred, with localized totals to 8 inches. Severe to devastating flash flooding occurred in several towns during this period, most notably in Weston, Ludlow, Plymouth and Bridgewater.
- Heat07/01/2018
Western Chittenden
3 deaths
What happened
High temperatures in the upper 80s to upper 90s with dewpoints in the 60s and 70s created dangerous heat indices in the 95 to 110 degree range between June 30th and July 5th.||Three fatalities were reported in official state health department records. A 79-year-old female in Essex Junction, 57-year-old female in Milton, and 71-year-old male all died in their places of residence from Hyperthermia.||Increased hospitalization visits also occurred due to the dangerous heat.
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/30/2019
Champlain Arpt, Chittenden County
2 deaths, $25K damage
What happened
Numerous branches and a few trees down on several roads in Colchester Mallets Bay area, including Prim, Porters Point, Colchester Point. Eldery couple were kayaking near Thayers beach when the storm struck and both capsized and drowned.
- Flash Flood07/11/2024
South Peacham, Caledonia County
1 death, $3M damage
What happened
Public video/picture of severe flash flooding along the Stevens River in Barnet Village. Subsequent reports from Emergency Mgmt. and NWS Storm Surveys the following morning confirmed severe to devastating flash flooding throughout the Barnet and Peacham area with numerous roads and structures heavily damaged or destroyed.
- Flash Flood07/11/2024
North Danville, Caledonia County
1 death, $1M damage
What happened
Official NWS storm surveys confirmed severe to locally devastating damage from flash flooding in the St. Johnsbury Center and Lyndon areas. Numerous roads and bridges were damaged with several homes and businesses experiencing severe damage, especially on Center St. in Lyndonville where a fatality occurred. Valid time listed from initial call from public concerning flash flooding on Red Village Road in Lyndonville.
Flood insurance
National Flood Insurance Program policies and claims
2,848 homes in Vermont have flood insurance, about 1.1% of residential buildings. In high-risk flood zones, 1,720 of 4,617 homes (37%) are insured.
- Vermont/New York Flooding$43.4M · 637 claims
- Hurricane Irene$42.5M · 992 claims
- Flooding$2.3M · 178 claims
- December Nor'easter$658K · 43 claims
- March 2010 Nor'easter$11.2K · 2 claims
- Hurricane Debby$0 · 2 claims
Drinking water
404 community water systems serve about 465,050 people
Since 2021, 53 systems reported 107 health-based violations. 67 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report. These had the most:
- Christmas Tree - Sundown CondominiumServes 110 · Groundwater · Private18 health violations+11 monitoring or reporting
- Battleground CondominiumServes 166 · Groundwater · Private14 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Whiffletree CondominiumServes 189 · Groundwater · Private6 health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Vernon HallServes 50 · Groundwater · Private5 health violations+14 monitoring or reporting
- Okemo Village CondominiumsServes 180 · Groundwater · Private4 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Huntington Fire District 1Serves 120 · Groundwater · Local government3 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Vernon Green Nursing HomeServes 96 · Groundwater · Private3 health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Waterville Fire District 1Serves 84 · Groundwater · Local government3 health violations
Select a county above to see every system that serves it.
Climate in the largest cities
1991-2020 normals from the nearest NOAA weather station
| City | July high | Jan low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 82°F | 13°F | 37.5 in | 87.5 in |
| Rutland | 80°F | 8°F | 40.3 in | 74.6 in |
| Essex Junction | 81°F | 10°F | 42.3 in | 85.9 in |
| Bennington | 81°F | 13°F | 38.6 in | - |
| Barre | 78°F | 7°F | 38.7 in | - |
| Montpelier | 82°F | 7°F | 41.4 in | - |
| Brattleboro | 82°F | 10°F | 46.1 in | 59.8 in |
| Middlebury | 80°F | 9°F | 38.7 in | 58.6 in |
Pollution sites
14 Superfund sites and 36 toxic release facilities
Superfund sites
- Bennington Municipal Sanitary LandfillFinal NPL Site, Bennington
- Bfi Sanitary Landfill (Rockingham)Final NPL Site, Rockingham
- Burgess Brothers LandfillFinal NPL Site, Woodford
- Commerce Street PlumeFinal NPL Site, Williston
- Elizabeth MineFinal NPL Site, Strafford
- Ely Copper MineFinal NPL Site, Vershire
- Jard Company, Inc.Final NPL Site, Bennington
- Old Springfield LandfillFinal NPL Site, Springfield
Largest toxic releases
- Globalfoundries U.S. 2 LLC - Vermont Facility150,734 lbs, Essex Junction
- Agri-Mark Inc41,959 lbs, Middlebury
- Ge Aerospace Plant 235,018 lbs, North Clarendon
- U.S. Army National Guard Ethan Allen Firing Range30,266 lbs, Jericho
- Garware Fulflex USA Inc.22,465 lbs, Brattleboro
- Ge Aerospace Plant 118,131 lbs, Rutland
- Weidmann Electrical Technology Inc12,043 lbs, Saint Johnsbury
- Tansitor Electronics Inc11,023 lbs, Bennington
Facilities in Vermont reported 340,045 lbs of toxic releases in 2024, 49,107 lbs of it into the air.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest natural hazard in Vermont?
- By expected annual loss, cold wave costs the most in Vermont ($17.5M a year), according to FEMA's National Risk Index.
- How many storms hit Vermont each year?
- NOAA recorded 10,389 storm events in Vermont since 1996, about 335 a year. The most common type is winter weather.
- How many homes in Vermont have flood insurance?
- 2,848 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Vermont. Since 1978 the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $118M on 3,688 claims here.
- How many Superfund sites are in Vermont?
- Vermont has 14 Superfund sites on or deleted from EPA's National Priorities List.
Source: FEMA, NOAA, EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch each county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.