Addison County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Addison County has experienced 30 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Tropical Depression Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Addison County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, hurricane, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 19% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (14th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Addison County has been designated in 30 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (14), flood (8), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 30 total declarations since 1973.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 47.7 | 16 | 0 | $2.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 55.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 45.6 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.3 | 3 | 0 | $85K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.8 | 11 | 0 | $51K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 31.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 54.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 52.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 54.2 | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 60.8 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Addison County ranks in the 14th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 14th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 15th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 7th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 23rd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 45th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 12th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 12th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 83.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 35 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 19 in 2021–25 (+19% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Addison County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Addison County, Vermont are landslide, hurricane, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Addison County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Addison County has received 30 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Addison County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Addison County include Tropical Depression Debby (2024), Severe Storms And Flooding (2024), Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Addison County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Chittenden County, VT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Orange County, VT has the lowest (Very Low). Addison County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Addison County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Addison County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Addison County's composite score of 27 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 27% of US counties.