Essex County, Vermont: hazard risk
FEMA rates Essex County's overall risk Very Low (score 3.2 of 100, higher than 3% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 501 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44.0 | $66K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 24.2 | $383K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.4 | $3K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 56.4 | $172K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 45.0 | $458 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.5 | $44K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 20.4 | $21K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 15.4 | $2.3M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.5 | $33K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 10.6 | $44K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.9 | $23K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.6 | $39K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 3.8 | $2K |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.7 | $3K |
| 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 | 288 | 2 | $3.1M | 7th of 13 | 153rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 89 | 0 | $757K | 13th of 13 | 2251st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 0 | $884K | 11th of 13 | 724th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 0 | $113K | 7th of 13 | 553rd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 28 | 0 | $4.7M | 13th of 13 | 1807th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 13 | 0 | $10K | 12th of 13 | 2737th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 7th of 13 | 1063rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $643K | 12th of 13 | 1792nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $96K | 8th of 13 | 2649th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $14K | 13th of 13 | 2071st 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 Essex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.