FEMA Records
10
Total declarations
Vermont · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Essex County, VT
10 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 10
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 3
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Essex County ranks safer than 3% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 94% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Very Low, based on 10 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2020, most often severe storm, 160% above the national county average of 4.
- Safer than 3%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 10
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 4
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Essex County compare?
Essex County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
10 Top 6% higher than 94% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Essex County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Vermont county average
How disaster-prone is Essex County?
Declaration frequency
Essex County, Vermont has recorded 10 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2024, of which 7 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.5 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 33% above the Vermont county average of 7.5 and 160% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 4 of 10 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 3.2/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $3.2M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Very Low social-vulnerability profile and Relatively Low community resilience. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Landslide, only reaches Very Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators place Essex County at a high relative risk level, its federal disaster history outpaces most of the country, and it is worth pairing that record with forward-looking hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
High
vs. Vermont Avg
+33%
State avg: 7.5
vs. National Avg
+160%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
2.5
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Essex County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Essex County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
50009
VT state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 4
Flood 3
Tropical Storm 1
Hurricane 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 7 70.0%
of all 10 declarations
Emergency - 3 30.0%
of all 10 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4826 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2024-09-26 |
| 4810 | SEVERE STORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-08-20 |
| 3609 | TROPICAL DEPRESSION DEBBY | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-08-08 |
| 4770 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-19 |
| 4762 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-03-02 |
| 4720 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-07-14 |
| 3595 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2023-07-10 |
| 4695 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-03-20 |
| 3567 | TROPICAL STORM HENRI | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-22 |
| 4532 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-08 |
Storm Events in Vermont
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | 1,093 | 7 | 0 | $3.3M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 816 | 3 | 6 | $8.5M |
| Winter Storm | 788 | 2 | 0 | $5.1M |
| Strong Wind | 418 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M |
| Flash Flood | 182 | 5 | 1 | $191.6M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 3.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$3.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hail Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Vermont
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Essex County, Vermont had?
Essex County, Vermont has received 10 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2024. Of these, 7 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Essex County?
The most common disaster type in Essex County is Severe Storm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Tropical Storm (1), Hurricane (1).
How does Essex County's disaster risk compare to the Vermont average?
Essex County has 10 disaster declarations, which is 33% higher than the Vermont county average of 7.5 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 160% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Essex County received?
Essex County has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 70% of all 10 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Vermont?
The most common storm types in Vermont include Winter Weather (1,093 events), Thunderstorm Wind (816 events), Winter Storm (788 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Essex County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Essex County was 2024, with 5 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Essex County?
Essex County has recorded 10 FEMA disaster declarations, a volume FEMA data classifies as high-risk, well above what most U.S. counties see over the same period.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Essex County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Essex County, Vermont has an overall risk score of 3.2 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $3.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Essex County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Essex County is Landslide (risk rating: Very Low). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Very Low) and Avalanche (Very Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Essex County
Essex County, VT runs 33% above the Vermont county average for federal disaster declarations (10 vs 8), a high historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (7 of 10) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Vermont overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.