Chittenden County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Chittenden County has experienced 32 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.
Chittenden County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, lightning, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 37% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (22nd 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. Chittenden County has been designated in 32 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (14), flood (10), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 32 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 | 25.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | 17 | 0 | $2.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 73.2 | 5 | 3 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 29.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.7 | 12 | 0 | $20K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 49.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.8 | 4 | 0 | $112K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 78.9 | — | — | — |
| 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
Chittenden County ranks in the 22nd 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 | 22nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 18th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 2nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 38th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 77th | High |
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 | 10th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 9th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 51.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 39 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 24 in 2016–20 vs 15 in 2021–25 (-37% — frequency decreasing).
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 Chittenden County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Chittenden County, Vermont are winter weather, lightning, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Chittenden County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Chittenden County has received 32 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Chittenden County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Chittenden County include Tropical Depression Debby (2024), Severe Winter Storm (2024), Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Chittenden County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Clinton County, NY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Grand Isle County, VT has the lowest (Very Low). Chittenden County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Chittenden County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Chittenden 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. Chittenden County's composite score of 64 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 64% of US counties.