Orleans County, Vermont: hazard risk
FEMA rates Orleans County's overall risk Very Low (score 36.8 of 100, higher than 36% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 662 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 Moderate | 70.8 | $137K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.8 | $8K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67.3 | $467K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.7 | $9.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 49.0 | $83K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.1 | $893K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 47.4 | $216K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 22.7 | $215K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 52.2 | $681 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 46.7 | $236K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 25.4 | $102K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 18.9 | $7K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 11.1 | $81K |
| Hail | Very Low | 5.7 | $16K |
| 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 | 317 | 2 | $5.3M | 6th of 13 | 142nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 136 | 3 | $2.5M | 9th of 13 | 2040th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 59 | 0 | $667M | 7th of 13 | 1057th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 51 | 0 | $62K | 10th of 13 | 2571st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 0 | $1.8M | 10th of 13 | 678th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | $161K | 9th of 13 | 617th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $689K | 2nd of 13 | 548th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $14K | 4th of 13 | 965th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $1.7M | 4th of 13 | 2535th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 13th of 13 | 1808th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Orleans County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.