Bennington County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Bennington County has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Tropical Depression Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Bennington County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, landslide, and hurricane, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 38% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Bennington County has been designated in 21 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including flood (7), severe storm (6), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2021 | Flood | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2011 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
Showing the 10 most recent of 21 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 | 20.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.5 | 27 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 45.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 27 | 17 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 71.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 28.3 | 4 | 0 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 18.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 52.7 | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 67.4 | — | — | — |
| 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
Bennington County ranks in the 35th percentile (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 | 35th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 27th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 43rd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 19th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 59th | Moderate |
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 | 77.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 50 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 21 in 2016–20 vs 29 in 2021–25 (+38% — 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 Bennington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Bennington County, Vermont are cold wave, landslide, and hurricane. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Bennington County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Bennington County has received 21 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is flood (7 declarations).
Has Bennington County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Bennington County include Tropical Depression Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Bennington County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Rensselaer County, NY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Rutland County, VT has the lowest (Relatively Low). Bennington County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Bennington County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Bennington 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. Bennington County's composite score of 52 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 52% of US counties.