Chittenden County, Vermont: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chittenden County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 63.9 of 100, higher than 63% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 1,229 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.8 | $1.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | $465K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 78.9 | $457K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $601K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | $29M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.4 | $1.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.7 | $2.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.6 | $18K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 73.2 | $1.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65.9 | $661K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $1.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 29.5 | $847K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.4 | $19K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.7 | $99K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 463 | 6 | $14M | 2nd of 13 | 87th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 297 | 2 | $5.8M | 1st of 13 | 1122nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 140 | 1 | $8.1M | 1st of 13 | 155th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 136 | 0 | $389K | 1st of 13 | 1488th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 83 | 1 | $37M | 1st of 13 | 564th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 58 | 0 | $2.1M | 4th of 13 | 379th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 21 | 0 | $2.3M | 1st of 13 | 178th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 16 | 3 | $964K | 3rd of 13 | 940th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $140K | 1st of 13 | 623rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $7.5M | 2nd of 13 | 2453rd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Chittenden County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.